How to Write 薶 (mái) — Meaning “To bury / To hide”

Imagine a wildcat (貍) digging a hole under the grass (艹) to bury its food. The grass hides the cat's secret, helping you recall 薶 means 'to bury' or 'to hide.'

The top radical 艹 should be written with two short horizontal strokes then a left-falling stroke, not as three separate lines. The bottom part 貍 has many strokes—be careful to write the left side (豸) with the correct number of curves, and keep the whole character balanced, not too tall.

薶 has the meaning 'to bury/hide' and contains 貍 (wildcat), while 䕭 (qián) refers to nettle or a plant used in ancient sacrifices, and 蕑 (jiān) means a type of orchid or a fragrant herb. Visually, 薶 uses 貍, 䕭 uses 犬 (dog) inside, and 蕑 uses 間 (between) as its phonetic component.

薶 is rare and mostly appears in classical or literary contexts, not in everyday speech. You may see it in phrases like 薶藏 (to hide) or 薶没 (to bury), but most native speakers use synonyms like 埋 (mái) for bury and 藏 (cáng) for hide.

Common words containing 薶 include: 薶藏 (mái cáng) — To hide / To conceal; 薶没 (mái méi) — To bury / To submerge; 薶首 (mái shǒu) — To bury one's head.