露天
lùtiān · HSK 7
in the open air
🏕️ 露天 = exposed (露) + sky (天) — under the open sky, outdoors
露 means exposed or uncovered (same character as dew, which settles on things left out); 天 is sky. Anything 露天 sits with nothing between it and the sky overhead: an open-air market, rooftop, or campsite.
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.
天 — 一 (one/sky) above 大 (big person)
Originally a pictograph of a person (大) with an emphasized head, representing what is above — the sky or heavens. The top stroke evolved into 一, symbolizing the vast expanse overhead. From 'sky' it extended to mean 'day,' 'heaven,' and 'nature.'