隠す

• Reading: かくす
• Romaji: kakusu
• Kanji breakdown: 隠 (kaku/in) — hide, conceal
• Pronunciation: /ka.kɯ.sɯ/

Meaning

To hide; to conceal. Deliberately putting something out of sight or keeping information secret.

A Group 1 (godan) verb conjugating with the s-row (隠す → 隠さない → 隠して). The transitive counterpart of 隠れる (kakureru, to hide oneself). Used for hiding physical objects (鍵を隠す), concealing emotions (気持ちを隠す), and keeping secrets (秘密を隠す). Common in the pattern ～を隠しきれない (cannot fully conceal ~).

Examples

1. プレゼントをクローゼットに隠した。 I hid the present in the closet.
2. 彼は本当の気持ちを隠している。 He's hiding his true feelings.
3. 驚きを隠しきれなかった。 I couldn't hide my surprise.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, emotions, secrets

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 隠 combines a hill/wall (阝) and a hand covering (急/爪 component), suggesting something blocked from view behind a barrier — the act of placing something where it cannot be seen.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal