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奥秘 (ào mì) — profound mystery; deep secret (of nature, the universe, etc.)

Definition

奥秘 refers to profound, unfathomable mysteries — especially of nature, the universe, or life — rather than hidden information. Unlike 秘密 (a hidden fact or secret) or 神秘 (a mysterious quality), it emphasizes depth and incomprehensibility.

noun
profound mysterydeep secret (of nature, the universe, etc.)

Examples

  • 奥秘。
    Kē xué jiā men yì zhí zài tàn suǒ shēng mìng de ào mì.
    Scientists have been exploring the mysteries of life.
  • 奥秘。
    Zhè běn shū jiē shì le gǔ dài wén míng de ào mì.
    This book reveals the mysteries of ancient civilizations.
  • 奥秘。
    Rén lèi duì yǔ zhòu de ào mì chōng mǎn le hào qí.
    Humans are full of curiosity about the mysteries of the universe.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

奥àodeep
秘mìsecret

奥 'deep' modifies 秘 'secret', giving a profound mystery.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 奥 →

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
禾禾hé
Sound part声符shēngfú
必
必bì秘Bì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 必 part gives 秘 its sound. The 禾 side replaced an older ritual marker, linking it to secret rituals and arcane meaning.

Open 秘 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract Concepts

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