How to Write 匿 (nì) — Meaning “to hide; to conceal”

Picture a person (represented by the right part 若) crouching inside a box (the left radical 匚) to stay hidden. This visual of someone hiding in a container helps you recall that 匿 means 'to hide'.

The radical 匚 (box) is written first: a horizontal stroke, then a vertical stroke with a hook at the bottom. The inner part 若 has 9 strokes; be careful not to confuse its top (艹) with two separate strokes — it is a single component. A common mistake is making the box too narrow or not enclosing the inner part fully.

匦 (guǐ) means a 'small box' or 'container' and is rarely used today, while 匧 (qiè) means a 'trunk' or 'case' and is also uncommon. In contrast, 匿 focuses on the action of hiding, not the container itself. Visually, 匮 (a variant) has a different inner component (貴) whereas 匿 uses 若.

匿 appears most often in the word 匿名 (nì míng, anonymous), such as in 匿名电话 (anonymous phone call) or online anonymous posts. It also means 'to hide' in 藏匿 (cáng nì), used in news about hiding from authorities or concealing objects. It is not commonly used alone but is essential for these key terms.

Common words containing 匿 include: 匿名 (nì míng) — anonymous; 藏匿 (cáng nì) — To hide / To conceal; 匿名电话 (nì míng diàn huà) — anonymous phone call.