埋

• Pinyin: mái
• Hanzi breakdown: 埋 = 土 (earth) + 里 (inside). Semantic compound: placing inside the earth.

Meaning

To bury; to hide underground; to conceal. Placing something beneath the surface.

Literally refers to burying objects or the deceased. Figuratively used for hiding emotions or laying groundwork: 埋下伏笔 (plant foreshadowing), 埋头苦干 (work with head down, toil away). Also: 埋怨 (mán yuàn, to complain — different tone).

Examples

1. 他把那些旧照片埋在院子里，想永远忘掉过去。 He buried those old photos in the yard, wanting to forget the past forever.
2. 这颗种子要埋在土里两厘米深，不能太浅。 This seed needs to be buried two centimeters deep in the soil, not too shallow.
3. 工程队正在埋设新的光纤电缆，网速很快就会提升。 The construction team is laying new fiber optic cables, so internet speeds will improve soon.

Usage Guide

Context: agriculture, construction, literature

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 把种子埋进土里。(Bury the seeds in the soil.)
• 他一直埋头工作。(He's been working with his head down.)

Don't Say

• 把 mái 埋(bury) 和 mán 埋怨(complain) 声调读错 (different tones, different meanings)

Origin & History

Composed of 土 (earth) + 里 (inside). The semantic meaning is clear: putting something inside the earth.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal