覆う

• Reading: おおう
• Romaji: oou
• Kanji breakdown: 覆 (oo/fuku) — cover, overturn
• Pronunciation: /o.oː/

Meaning

To cover; to hide; to conceal. Placing something over to protect or hide what is underneath.

A Group 1 (godan) verb conjugated as 覆わ/覆い/覆う/覆え/覆おう. Used for physically covering objects (with cloth, snow, etc.) and figuratively for concealing information. 覆い (ooi) is the noun form meaning 'covering.' Often appears in literary and news contexts. を覆う marks what is being covered, で覆う marks what is used to cover.

Examples

1. 雪が山全体を覆っていた。 Snow covered the entire mountain.
2. 彼女は顔を両手で覆った。 She covered her face with both hands.
3. 雲が空を覆って暗くなった。 Clouds covered the sky and it got dark.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, description, literature

Tone: descriptive

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 覆 combines 覀 (a cover) and 復 (to return/repeat), suggesting repeatedly placing a covering over something for protection.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal