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秘密 (mì mì) — (noun) a secret; (adjective) secret, confidential

Definition

秘密 works as both a noun ('a secret') and an adjective ('secret, confidential') and covers everyday personal or planned secrets. Compare 隐私 (private personal matters), 机密 (classified/official information), and 奥秘 (a profound mystery).

noun
a secret
adjective
secretconfidential
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 秘密。
    Zhè ge mì mì zhǐ yǒu wǒ men liǎng gè rén zhī dào.
    This secret is only known to the two of us.
  • 秘密。
    Tā men zhèng zài zhì dìng yí xiàng mì mì jì huà.
    They are formulating a secret plan.
  • 秘密。
    Tā xiàng wǒ tòu lù le yí gè jīng rén de mì mì.
    She revealed a shocking secret to me.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

秘mìsecret
密mìconcealed

秘 means secret and 密 means concealed, so together they describe something kept hidden.

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.

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 →

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
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
宓
宓mì密mì
Same sound today

密 pairs 山 (mountain) with 宓 (mì), which gives the pronunciation, to picture something hidden in the mountains, hence secret.

Open 密 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 51000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsAbstract Concepts2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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