藏

• Pinyin: cáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 藏 = 艹 (grass) + 臧 (phonetic/store)

Meaning

To hide; to conceal; to store. The action of putting something out of sight.

A versatile verb with two pronunciations: cáng (to hide/conceal) and zàng (Tibet-related or to store treasures). The cáng reading is used for hiding objects (藏起来), hiding emotions (藏在心里), or storing collections (收藏). Common in everyday speech.

Examples

1. 她把礼物藏在柜子里，准备给男朋友一个惊喜。 She hid the gift in the cabinet, planning to give her boyfriend a surprise.
2. 这只猫最喜欢藏在沙发底下。 This cat loves hiding under the sofa.
3. 有什么话就直说，别藏在心里。 If you have something to say, just say it — don't keep it hidden in your heart.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, games, emotions

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 快把这个藏起来，别让他看见。(Quick, hide this — don't let him see it.)
• 她总是把真实感受藏在心里。(She always hides her true feelings in her heart.)

Don't Say

• 注意'藏'有两个读音 (Note that 藏 has two pronunciations: cáng for hiding and zàng for Tibet or Buddhist scriptures 藏经)

Origin & History

Composed of 艹 (grass) + 臧 (good/store). Originally related to storing valuables safely.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal