隐形 (yǐn xíng) — invisible | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

隐形 focuses on being literally unseen — what you cannot see (glasses, ink, clothing). 无形 means intangible or formless (costs, assets); 隐蔽 emphasizes deliberately hidden or concealed.

adjective

invisible

Examples

。
Tā zài wǎng shàng mǎi le yí fù yǐn xíng yǎn jìng.
He bought a pair of contact lenses online.
隐形。
Zhè zhǒng yǐn xíng mò shuǐ kě yǐ yòng lái xiě mì mì xìn jiàn.
This invisible ink can be used to write secret letters.
隐形。
Diàn yǐng lǐ de wài xīng rén chuān zhuó yǐn xíng de yī fu.
The aliens in the movie wore invisible clothes.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

The idea is to 隐 (hide) the 形 (form), so nothing is visible.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 隱; 隐 is its simplified writing.

阝㥯隱

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阝Written in full as阜fù

Sound part声符shēngfú

㥯

㥯㥯隱yǐn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 隱 pairs 阝 (阜) with 㥯 to give the sound; the simplified 隐 is a shorthand, so its right side is not 㥯.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

彡彡shān

Sound part声符shēngfú

井

井jǐng形xíng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

形 is made from 彡 and 井, with 井 providing the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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