捂 (wǔ) - To cover with the hand & to seal

捂Tone 3

wǔ ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

捂 · wǔ

To cover with the hand;

to seal;

to conceal;

to muffle.

To cover with the handto sealto conceal

Usage highlights

Cover one's mouthCover one's earsCover up the truthKeep warm by coveringCover and fermentConceal information

Synonyms

  • 盖— to cover; to lid
  • 掩— to cover; to conceal
  • 遮— to cover; to hide

Antonyms

  • 揭— to uncover; to expose
  • 露— to reveal; to expose
  • 开— to open

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh (捂住嘴笑).
  • He tried to conceal the truth (捂盖真相).
  • Please keep the lid on the pot (把锅捂严实).
  • The government attempted to cover up the scandal (政府试图捂盖子).

Collocations

  • Cover one's mouth(捂住嘴)
  • Cover one's ears(捂住耳朵)
  • Cover up the truth(捂盖子)
  • Keep warm by covering(捂着取暖)
  • Cover and ferment(捂豆豉)
  • Conceal information(捂消息)

Idioms

  • Covering ears while stealing a bell(掩耳盗铃)
  • Covering one's eyes and ears(遮眼捂耳)
  • East house covering west house(东捂西盖)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 捂 embodies the concept of concealment or protection through physical covering.
  • In Chinese culinary tradition, 'covering' (捂) is used in fermentation processes like making fermented black beans (捂豆豉).
  • The term 'covering the lid' (捂盖子) is commonly used metaphorically to describe attempts to hide scandals or negative information.

FAQ