水落石出

shuǐ luò shí chū

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Uncommon

Definitions

1. as the water recedes, the rocks appear (idiom)
2. the truth comes to light

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Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

瞒天过海

mán tiān guò hǎi

to cross the sea by a trick (idiom)

水落石出 is revealing truth, 瞒天过海 is concealing truth.

Related words

2 items

揭露

jiē lù

to expose

Related to exposing or revealing.

隐藏

yǐn cáng

to hide

Opposite concept of hiding.

Synonyms

1 item

真相大白

zhēn xiàng dà bái

the whole truth is revealed (idiom); everything becomes clear

Both mean the truth becomes known.

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Don't use 水落石出 for daily clarifications like 'I found my keys'; it's for significant truths being revealed after investigation.

Formality

Often used in formal or narrative contexts, not casual conversation.

Example Sentences

1 shown

经过调查，真相终于水落石出。

After investigation, the truth finally came to light.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 水落石出

to go out

water

to leave out

colloquial reading for 落[luò] in certain compounds

to fall or drop

dry measure for grain equal to ten dou 斗[dǒu]; one hundred liters

rock

falling stone