泄露

• Pinyin: xiè lòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 泄 = 氵+ 世 (water leaking out); 露 = 雨 + 路 (rain + road — dew, something revealed by nature)

Meaning

To leak; to disclose; to reveal (information, secrets, or data) without authorisation.

Applies to information, secrets, plans, and data — not physical substances (cf. 泄漏). Appears in legal, journalistic, and business contexts. '泄露国家机密' (leaking state secrets) is a serious criminal offence in China.

Examples

1. 该公司内部的薪酬数据遭到泄露，引发员工强烈不满。 The company’s internal salary data was leaked, sparking strong dissatisfaction among employees.
2. 内线将谈判底线泄露给了竞争对手，导致合同谈判彻底失败。 An insider leaked the bottom line of the negotiations to a competitor, causing the contract talks to fail completely.
3. 未经授权泄露患者医疗记录的行为，将受到法律的严惩。 Unauthorized disclosure of patients’ medical records will be punished severely under the law.

Usage Guide

Context: law, media, business, cybersecurity

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 调查显示，该平台在过去三年内共泄露了超过两千万条用户个人信息。(The investigation revealed that the platform had leaked more than twenty million pieces of user personal information over the past three years.)
• 记者拒绝向法庭透露消息来源，坚称保护泄露信息者是新闻伦理的核心原则。(The journalist refused to reveal the source to the court, insisting that protecting those who leaked information is a core principle of journalistic ethics.)

Don't Say

• 水管泄露了 — use 泄漏 for physical leaking of liquids; 泄露 is for information and secrets

Origin & History

泄 (to discharge/let out) + 露 (to reveal/expose) — to let out something that was meant to remain hidden

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal