揭露
jiē lù · HSK 7
to expose
🔦 揭 = lift the lid + 露 = reveal; lift the cover and reveal what was hidden
揭 means to lift off or peel back a cover, and 露 means to reveal or expose (it also means dew, the moisture that surfaces openly). Together: lift the lid so the hidden truth comes out into the open.
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'.
露 — rain 雨 (top) + road 路 (bottom, phonetic)
露 combines 雨 'rain' as the meaning component with 路 'road' as the phonetic. It originally referred to dew — the moisture that settles overnight on outdoor paths. From there it extended to 'expose' or 'reveal,' since dew lies open on surfaces.