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隐姓埋名 (yǐn xìng mái míng) — to live incognito; to conceal one's identity (by hiding one's real name)

Definition

Literally 'hide one's surname, bury one's name' — to conceal your real identity and live under a false one, usually for safety or secrecy (spies, fugitives, undercover figures).

idiom
to live incognitoto conceal one's identity (by hiding one's real name)

Examples

  • ，隐姓埋名。
    Tā wèi le ān quán, jué dìng yǐn xìng mái míng yí bèi zi.
    For safety, he decided to live incognito for the rest of his life.
  • 隐姓埋名，。
    Hěn duō jiàn dié dōu yǐn xìng mái míng, bú ràng rén zhī dào tā men de zhēn shí shēn fèn.
    Many spies live incognito, not letting anyone know their real identities.
  • 隐姓埋名，。
    Tā yǐn xìng mái míng hùn rù dí fāng, rèn wu fēi cháng wēi xiǎn.
    He went incognito among the enemy — an extremely dangerous mission.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

隐姓hide surname
隐yǐnhide姓xìngsurname
动宾Verb + object
埋名bury name
埋máibury名míngname
动宾Verb + object

隐姓 and 埋名 both describe hiding a person's real name, together meaning to live incognito.

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.

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.

Open 隐 →

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
女女nǚwoman; female
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng姓xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

姓 combines 女 (woman) with 生, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 姓 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎoplant
Sound part声符shēngfú
貍
貍lí埋mái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

An earlier form paired 艹 (plant) with 貍 (lí) for sound. The form 埋 later shows earth with a sound part.

Open 埋 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

名 puts 夕 (crescent moon) above 口 (mouth), showing a name spoken in the dark.

Open 名 →
Appears in
Identity & TitlesIdioms & Set Phrases

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