隐 (yǐn) — to hide, conceal, obscure
Definition
隐 (yǐn) is a formal, literary verb meaning 'to hide / conceal' — it almost never stands alone; it pairs with 藏 to form 隐藏, the standard written verb for concealment. Prefer 藏 in speech.
verb
to hideconcealobscure
Examples
- 。Tā bǎ mì mì yǐn cáng zài xīn dǐ.He concealed the secret in his heart.
- ，。Zhè xiē wēi xiǎn yǐn cáng zài àn chù, bú yì fā xiàn.These dangers are hidden in the dark, not easy to discover.
- 。Tā de yì tú yǐn cáng dé hěn shēn.His intentions were deeply hidden.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
Appears in
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