📖 Meaning
Originally described willow branches as the first to reveal the arrival of spring. It later came to metaphorically mean the leaking of a secret romantic affair between a man and a woman, or a secret being discovered and exposed.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from the Tang dynasty poet Du Fu's poem '腊日' (Winter Sacrifice Day). The line '侵陵雪色还萱草，漏泄春光有柳条' describes early spring scenery where daylilies push through the lingering snow and willow branches are the first to betray the coming of spring. Over centuries, the phrase evolved from its literal seasonal meaning into a metaphor for the exposure of secret love affairs or the leaking of hidden matters.
💡 Example Usage
他们二人的私情早已漏泄春光，街坊邻居无人不知。
Their secret affair had long been exposed, and everyone in the neighborhood knew about it.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 漏泄春光
- Pinyin: lòu xiè chūn guāng
- Literal Translation: leak, reveal, spring, light
- Category: Clarity
- Characters: 4