Translation guide
How to express 'leak out' in Japanese, covering physical leaks of liquids/gas, information leaks, and figurative uses.
Describing a physical leak where a substance escapes from a container or enclosed space.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to leak' or 'to escape'. Used when the subject is the substance that leaks out.
水道管から水が漏れている。
Water is leaking out from the water pipe.
ガスが漏れているので、窓を開けてください。
Gas is leaking out, so please open the windows.
Transitive verb meaning 'to let leak' or 'to allow to escape'. Used when someone or something causes the leak.
彼はうっかり秘密を漏らしてしまった。
He carelessly let the secret leak out.
More formal term for 'leak out' or 'spill out', often used for large-scale leaks like oil spills or chemical leaks.
工場から化学物質が流出した。
Chemical substances leaked out from the factory.
Technical term for leakage, often used in medical or scientific contexts.
血液が血管から漏出している。
Blood is leaking out from the blood vessel.
Describing secrets, news, or data being disclosed without authorization.
Intransitive verb used for information leaking out, often unintentionally.
試験の問題が漏れたらしい。
It seems the exam questions leaked out.
個人情報が外部に漏れた。
Personal information leaked out to the outside.
Formal term for information leakage, often used in news or business contexts.
顧客データの漏洩が発覚した。
A leak of customer data was discovered.
Also used for information leaks, especially when large amounts of data are involved.
機密文書がインターネット上に流出した。
Confidential documents leaked out onto the internet.
Transitive verb for letting information leak, often used when someone is responsible.
Describing something intangible like light, sound, or smell coming out from an enclosed space.
General verb for intangible things leaking out.
カーテンの隙間から光が漏れている。
Light is leaking out through a gap in the curtains.
隣の部屋から音楽が漏れてくる。
Music is leaking out from the next room.
Emphasizes the beginning of the leak or the act of seeping out.
ドアの下から冷気が漏れ出している。
Cold air is leaking out from under the door.
Describing when someone's true feelings become apparent despite trying to hide them.
Used for emotions leaking out, often through voice or expression.
彼女の声には不安が漏れていた。
Anxiety leaked out in her voice.
思わず本音が漏れた。
My true feelings leaked out unintentionally.
Similar to 漏れる but can imply a more gradual or visible emergence.
彼の表情からは怒りが漏れ出ていた。
Anger was leaking out from his expression.
漏れる (intransitive) is used when the focus is on the thing that leaks. 漏らす (transitive) is used when someone or something causes the leak. For information leaks, 漏れる is more common unless you want to emphasize the actor.
情報が漏れた。
The information leaked out.
彼が情報を漏らした。
He leaked the information.
While 漏れる can be used metaphorically, some English uses of 'leak out' (e.g., 'the truth leaked out') may be better expressed with other verbs like 明らかになる (to become clear) or 知れ渡る (to become widely known) depending on the nuance.
I don't know who leaked the information.