xiè
verb HSK 7-9 #15,776

Meanings

  1. 1 to leak
  2. 2 to discharge
  3. 3 to vent

Examples

HSK 7-9
Lúntāi xiè le qì.
The tire leaked air.
HSK 7-9
Tā bǎ nùqì xiè zài biérén shēnshang.
He vented his anger on others.

Tips

usage
is the core character in several HSK 7 words: 泄漏 (to leak), 泄露 (to divulge), 泄密 (to leak secrets). It conveys uncontrolled release.

Components

radical
shuǐ
water
is the left-side form of (water). It supplies the leak-and-discharge image - water finding a way out - and extends naturally to figurative leakage of secrets (泄密) and venting of emotion (发泄).
phonetic
shì
generation; world
shì provides the sound, shifted to xiè. The same phonetic feeds (dié, butterfly) and (dié, official document) when the underlying stem appears - a cluster around the dié/xiè/shì sound space.

Stroke Order

xiè