揭发
jiē fā · HSK 7
to expose
🔦 揭 lift-the-lid + 发 send-out = peel the cover off and send it out: expose
揭 means to lift or peel back (like tearing off a seal or lid), and 发 means to issue or send out. Together: you pull back the cover on a wrongdoing and broadcast it, so 揭发 is to expose or disclose.
揭 — hand radical 扌 + 曷 (phonetic)
揭 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 carries the meaning of a physical action done with the hand, while 曷 supplies the sound (related to jiē/hé). Originally it meant to lift or raise something high, and from there extended to 'uncover, reveal, expose'.
发 — simplified form of 發; from 癶 (two feet) + 弓 (bow) + 殳 (weapon)
The traditional form 發 depicted shooting an arrow from a bow, with 癶 showing outstretched feet and 弓 the bow, giving the core sense of 'send out, discharge.' From this came extended meanings like 'issue, emit, develop.' The modern simplified 发 also absorbed 髮 (hair), so it now covers both 'to send out' and 'hair.'