発露

• Reading: はつろ
• Romaji: hatsuro
• Kanji breakdown: 発 (hatsu/de) — emit, spring forth, dispatch; 露 (ro/tsuyu) — dew, expose, reveal
• Pronunciation: /hatsɯɾo/

Meaning

Manifestation; expression; revelation of an inner quality. The emergence or outward expression of something internal or latent.

A verbal noun (する verb). Used in literary, philosophical, and psychological contexts. 才能の発露 (manifestation of talent), 感情の発露 (expression of emotion). Conveys a sense of something naturally surfacing from within rather than being deliberately displayed. More literary and nuanced than 表現 (expression).

Examples

1. その詩は、若き芸術家の純粋な感情の発露として高く評価された。 The poem was highly regarded as a pure manifestation of a young artist's emotions.
2. 日常の行動の中にこそ、その人の本質の発露が現れるものだ。 It is in one's everyday actions that the true nature of a person naturally reveals itself.
3. 彼の作品は才能の発露というより、長年の鍛錬の結晶だった。 His work was less a manifestation of talent than the crystallisation of years of disciplined training.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, art, psychology, philosophy

Tone: reflective

Origin & History

Compound of 発 (hatsu, to emit/spring forth) and 露 (ro, dew/to expose). The image of dew emerging naturally from within the earth captures the sense of inner qualities rising to the surface.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated