隠 (yǐn) - To hide & to conceal

隠Tone 3

yǐn ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

懿嘤

隠 · yǐn

To hide;

to conceal;

to cover;

to retreat from the world;

secret.

To hideto concealto cover

Usage highlights

To hideHermitConcealmentSecretHidden meaningPrivacy

Synonyms

  • 藏— to hide, conceal
  • 匿— to conceal, hide
  • 秘— secret, mysterious

Antonyms

  • 显— to appear, manifest
  • 露— to expose, reveal
  • 现— to appear, present

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He hid in the mountains (隠れる).
  • The hermit lives in seclusion (隠者).
  • This is a hidden meaning (隠れた意味).
  • She concealed her true feelings (本心を隠す).

Collocations

  • To hide(隠れる)
  • Hermit(隠者)
  • Concealment(隠蔽)
  • Secret(隠し事)
  • Hidden meaning(隠喩)
  • Privacy(隠私)

Idioms

  • Live in seclusion, cultivating one's virtue(隠居修身)
  • Concealing one's name and changing one's surname(隠姓埋名)
  • Hidden dragon, crouching tiger(隠龍臥虎)
  • Retreat from the world and live in seclusion(隠遁山林)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Daoist and Buddhist traditions, '隠' represents the ideal of withdrawing from worldly affairs to cultivate spiritual wisdom.
  • The concept of 'yinshi' (hermit-scholars) was highly respected in ancient China, representing moral integrity and refusal to serve corrupt governments.
  • In Japanese culture, the character carries similar connotations of secrecy, privacy, and spiritual retreat.

FAQ