隐藏

• Pinyin: yǐn cáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 隐 = 阝(hill) + 急 (urgent) simplified, meaning hidden; 藏 = 艹 (grass) + 臧 (to store), meaning to hide/store

Meaning

To hide; to conceal; to keep secret. To put something out of sight or prevent it from being known.

Used for both physical hiding and concealing abstract things like emotions or intentions. Common phrases: 隐藏身份 (hide identity), 隐藏感情 (conceal feelings), 隐藏文件 (hidden files), 隐藏功能 (hidden feature). More formal than 藏 alone.

Examples

1. 他把真实想法隐藏得很深，连最好的朋友都看不出来。 He hides his true thoughts so deeply that even his best friends can't tell.
2. 这款软件有很多隐藏功能，需要特定操作才能激活。 This software has many hidden features that require specific operations to activate.
3. 嫌疑人试图隐藏证据，但最终还是被警方发现了。 The suspect tried to conceal the evidence, but the police eventually found it.

Usage Guide

Context: emotions, technology, crime

Tone: secretive

Do Say

• 他总是隐藏自己的情绪。(He always hides his emotions.)
• 这个文件夹是隐藏的。(This folder is hidden.)

Don't Say

• 隐藏在床下 — 人躲藏用'躲'或'藏'，隐藏通常不用于简单的物理躲避

Origin & History

Compound of 隐 (to hide, concealed) + 藏 (to store, hide). Both characters share the meaning of concealment, creating an emphatic compound.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal