袒

expose, reveal

袒 is composed of the radical 衣 (clothes) and 旦 (dawn). 旦 depicts the sun just rising above the horizon, making everything on the flat ground clearly visible with nothing hidden, so 旦 originally carried the meaning of exposure. Later, as 旦 developed other meanings, 衣 was added to create 袒 specifically to express bareness or exposure.

Vocabulary of 袒

  • 袒露 (bare the breast)
  • 袒護 (shield from punishment)
  • 肉袒 (make a humble apology)

Related Characters: