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隐晦 (yǐn huì) — obscure; veiled (of meaning, expression, writing)

Definition

An adjective for meaning or expression that is deliberately unclear or hidden. Refers to the speaker's indirectness, not the listener's confusion — so don't confuse it with 模糊, which describes something vague or fuzzy on its own.

adjective
obscureveiled (of meaning, expression, writing)

Examples

  • 隐晦，。
    Zhè piān xiǎo shuō de zhǔ tí shí fēn yǐn huì, bù róng yì kàn chū lái.
    The theme of this novel is very obscure and not easy to see.
  • 隐晦，。
    Tā de huí dá tài yǐn huì le, wǒ gēn běn méi tīng dǒng.
    His answer was too veiled; I didn't understand it at all.
  • 隐晦，。
    Bié shuō dé nà me yǐn huì, zhí jiē gào sù wǒ jiù hǎo.
    Don't say it so obscurely; just tell me directly.

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yǐnhidden; obscure
晦huìdark; unclear

隐 means hidden and 晦 means dark, together suggesting obscure or veiled meaning.

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
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi晦huì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

晦 combines 日 (sun) with 每, which gives its sound.

Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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