流露
liúlù · HSK 7
betray/reveal unintentionally
💧 流 flow + 露 reveal/dew = feelings flow out and get exposed without meaning to
流 carries the sense of flowing and 露 means to expose or reveal (also dew). Together they describe an emotion leaking out on its own, the way dew forms unbidden overnight rather than by anyone's intent.
流 — water radical 氵 + 㐬 (phonetic, child being born)
流 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The water radical 氵 gives the meaning, while 㐬 depicts an infant being born head-down with amniotic fluid, suggesting downward flow. Together they convey water flowing, and by extension 'to flow' or 'current'.
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.