隐忍 (yǐn rěn) — to bear patiently; to forbear

Definition

隐忍 means to quietly endure or swallow one's feelings without showing them. It implies long, restrained self-control — stronger and more literary than 忍 (simply 'to endure').

verb
to bear patientlyto forbear

Examples

  • 隐忍，。
    Duō nián lái tā yì zhí yǐn rěn, cóng wèi bào yuàn.
    He has been bearing patiently for years, never complaining.
  • ，隐忍。
    Miàn duì bù gōng, tā xuǎn zé le yǐn rěn ér bú shì fǎn kàng.
    Faced with injustice, she chose to forbear rather than resist.
  • 隐忍，。
    Tā yǐn rěn nèi xīn de tòng kǔ, jì xù gōng zuò.
    He bore the pain inside patiently and continued working.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

隐yǐnconceal
忍rěnendure

隐 means to conceal and 忍 means to endure; together they describe patiently bearing hardship.

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.

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.

Open 隐 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
刃
刃rèn忍rěn
Same sound today

忍 combines 心 (heart) and 刃 (blade). The 刃 part provides the sound, and the 心 part is the heart.

Open 忍 →

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