How to Write 隐 (yǐn) — Meaning “hidden; concealed”

Imagine a hill (阝) with a secret box (匚) where you work (工) to keep your heart (心) hidden from others. This story combines all the parts into a memorable image of concealment.

Write the left radical 阝 first (two strokes), then the right part: 匚 (two strokes with a hook at the bottom), then 工 (three strokes), and finally 心 (four strokes). A common mistake is making the 匚 too small or forgetting its hook, which changes the shape.

The key visual difference is the position of 阝: in 隐 it is on the left, while in 郗 and 郛 it is on the right. Also, 隐 has the complex right part 匚+工+心, whereas 郗 contains 希 and 郛 contains 孚. Their meanings are unrelated: 隐 means 'hidden', 郗 is a place name or surname, and 郛 means 'outer city wall'.

隐 appears in common words like 隐藏 (to hide something) and 隐瞒 (to conceal the truth). It also has cultural importance in terms like 隐士 (hermit), referring to scholars who choose to live away from society, a concept valued in traditional Chinese philosophy.

Common words containing 隐 include: 隐藏 (yǐn cáng) — to hide; to conceal; 隐瞒 (yǐn mán) — to conceal; to hide (the truth); 隐形 (yǐn xíng) — invisible; stealth.