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隐藏 (yǐn cáng) — to hide; to conceal (physically, e.g., objects or people); to conceal; to keep secret (information, emotions, intentions)

Definition

隐藏 covers both physical hiding (hiding keys in a drawer) and figurative concealment (hiding feelings, facts, losses). Compared with 藏, it is more abstract; vs 掩饰, it is neutral rather than implying deliberate cover-up of wrongdoing.

verb
to hideto conceal (physically, e.g., objects or people)to concealto keep secret (information, emotions, intentions)

Examples

  • 隐藏。
    Tā bǎ yào shi yǐn cáng zài chōu ti lǐ.
    He hid the keys in the drawer.
  • 隐藏。
    Tā yǐn cáng le zì jǐ de zhēn shí xiǎng fǎ.
    She concealed her true thoughts.
  • 隐藏。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī shì tú yǐn cáng kuī sǔn shì bú dào dé de xíng wéi.
    Trying to hide losses is unethical behavior.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

隐yǐnhide
藏cángstore

隐 and 藏 both mean hide, together emphasizing concealment.

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
臧
臧zāng藏cáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

藏 is made from 艸 (grass) and 臧, where 臧 gives the sound.

Open 藏 →
Appears in
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