藏 (cáng) — to hide, to conceal; to store, to collect
Definition
藏 (cáng) covers both 'hide' and 'collect/store'. For 'hide', it pairs with locations (藏在…里); 隐藏 is more abstract for information/emotions. For 'store', 存储 is the technical term (data, resources).
verb
to hideto concealto storeto collect
Examples
- 藏。Tā bǎ lǐ wù cáng zài yī guì lǐ le.He hid the gift in the wardrobe.
- 。Yé ye xǐ huan shōu cáng lǎo zhào piàn.Grandpa likes to collect old photos.
- 藏？Nǐ yǒu shén me mì mì dōu cáng zài xīn lǐ ma?Do you keep all your secrets hidden in your heart?
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.
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.
Appears in
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