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遮掩 (zhē yǎn) — to cover, to envelop (physically); to cover up, to hide, to conceal (abstract)

Definition

遮掩 covers both a physical sense ('cover over') and a figurative one ('hide, cover up' a fact or feeling). Pairs naturally with 把, e.g. 把…遮掩起来.

verb
to coverto envelop (physically)to cover upto hideto conceal (abstract)

Examples

  • 遮掩。
    Tā yòng bù bǎ zhuō zi zhē yǎn qǐ lái.
    He covered the table with a cloth.
  • 遮掩。
    Tā nǔ lì zhē yǎn zì jǐ de jǐn zhāng.
    He tried hard to hide his nervousness.
  • 遮掩。
    Zhēn xiàng hěn nán bèi zhē yǎn.
    The truth is hard to cover up.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

遮zhēcover
掩yǎnconceal

'遮' and '掩' both mean cover or conceal, together hiding something.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòroad
Sound part声符shēngfú
庶
庶shù遮zhē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

遮 has 辶, a road-like part, and 庶 (shù, 'numerous'), which gives it its sound.

Open 遮 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
奄
奄yǎn掩yǎn
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is a hand; the right part 奄 gives the character its sound.

Open 掩 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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