隐身

• Pinyin: yǐn shēn
• Hanzi breakdown: 隐 = 阜 + hidden element (concealed — out of sight); 身 = pictograph of a body (person, self)

Meaning

To make oneself invisible; to conceal one's presence; stealth. The act of hiding from view or detection.

Used both literally (隐身衣 — invisibility cloak, in mythology and fiction) and figuratively (在社交媒体上隐身 — going offline/laying low on social media). In modern colloquial Chinese, 隐身 is frequently used to describe someone who has become hard to reach, gone quiet, or is deliberately keeping a low profile.

Examples

1. 这架新型军用无人机装有吸波涂层和降噪系统，能在复杂电磁环境中实现近乎完全的隐身，敌方很难探测到它。 This new military drone has radar-absorbing coating and noise-reduction systems, allowing it to achieve near-total stealth in complex electromagnetic environments, making it hard for the enemy to detect.
2. 和前同事激烈争执后，他在各大社交平台彻底隐身，关掉即时通讯，手机也设为勿扰，给自己留出独处时间。 After a heated argument with his former colleague, he went completely invisible on major social platforms, turned off instant messaging, set his phone to do not disturb, and gave himself some time alone.
3. 古代神话里的隐身术象征权力与自由，始终吸引读者。 In ancient myths, stealth symbolizes power and freedom, and it has always fascinated readers.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, social media, literature, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这位活跃的科技博主发文引发争议后，在各个平台隐身数月，粉丝十分困惑。(After publishing a controversial post, this active tech blogger went dark on every platform for months, leaving fans very confused.)
• 研究团队正探索一种基于光子相位调控的隐身机制，理论上可让目标在特定波段完全隐身。(The research team is exploring a stealth mechanism based on photon phase control, which could theoretically make a target completely invisible in specific bands.)

Don't Say

• 他隐身了那个问题 — 隐身 is intransitive and refers to the concealment of oneself or one's presence; for concealing an issue use 回避 or 掩盖 that issue; 隐身 cannot take an object that is not the subject itself

Origin & History

隐 (to conceal — 阜 mound + hidden; out of sight) + 身 (body/self — 身 pictograph of a pregnant woman, later generalised to body/person/self); together: 'to conceal one's body/self'

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal