隐约

• 병음: yǐn yuē
• 한자 분석: 隐 = 阜 + hidden element (dim, concealed); 约 = 糸 + 勺 (thread + spoon — to bind loosely, to approximate)

뜻

희미하다; 어렴풋하다

Used for sounds, shapes, feelings, or memories that are not fully clear or articulate — neither completely absent nor fully present. Common in literary and descriptive writing. Often collocates with sensory verbs: 隐约听到 (faintly heard), 隐约看见 (dimly perceived), 隐约感到 (vaguely felt). Conveys a poetic sense of partial revelation.

예문

1. 清晨薄雾未散，远处山脊在晨光中隐约可见，淡墨色轮廓与天际橘粉交融，宛如一幅水墨画。
2. 翻阅尘封已久的家信时，他隐约感到祖父当年承受过巨大的精神压力，也因此更能体会那代人的隐忍。
3. 会议室外走廊上隐约传来的争执声打断了他，低低的火药味穿墙而入，连室内气氛也变得凝重。

사용 가이드

맥락: literature, description, everyday, narrative

어조: reflective

올바른 표현

• 站在山顶北望，暮色薄霭中，远处城市轮廓隐约浮现，万家灯火次第亮起，像一座夜色中的孤岛。(Standing on the mountaintop and looking north, the outline of the distant city emerged faintly in the thin dusk haze, and countless lights came on one by one, like an island in the night.)
• 两个小时的访谈里，她措辞谨慎，只谈业务，但提到早期融资困境时，眼中仍隐约闪过一丝疲惫和委屈。(During the two-hour interview, she spoke carefully and kept to business, but when she mentioned early fundraising difficulties, a trace of exhaustion and grievance still faintly flashed in her eyes.)

피해야 할 표현

• 他隐约解释了计划 — 隐约 modifies perception, not speech acts; a person cannot 'vaguely explain' using 隐约 — use 含糊地 (vaguely/ambiguously) or 简略地 (briefly) for imprecise or sketchy explanations; reserve 隐约 for sensory and perceptual dimness

기원과 역사

隐 (concealed/dim — 阜 mound + hidden; partially out of sight) + 约 (approximately/loosely — 糸 thread + 勺 spoon; to bind loosely, to approximate); together: 'dimly and loosely perceived — not quite visible or clear'

문화적 배경

시대: Classical–Modern

세대: All ages

사회적 배경: Universal