Translation guide
How to express the act of concealing oneself to avoid detection, danger, or pursuit in Japanese.
The basic act of making oneself unseen or unfindable.
The most common intransitive verb for hiding oneself. Used for physically concealing your body.
The criminal hid in the mountains.
The children are hiding in the closet.
Literally 'hide one's body'. A slightly more formal or literary way to say 'go into hiding', often implying a deliberate act to avoid danger or attention.
He hid from his pursuers.
To lie low, to hide out (often for a longer period, like a fugitive or spy). Used in news or formal contexts.
The suspect is believed to be hiding out in the city.
To vanish from society or public view, often to avoid authorities or media.
Literally 'go underground'. Used for activists, dissidents, or anyone disappearing from official surveillance.
The activists went underground.
To disappear, to vanish from sight. Can be used for people who suddenly stop appearing in public.
She suddenly disappeared (went into hiding).
Literally 'hide behind clouds'. A poetic or literary expression for disappearing without a trace.
He vanished from the public eye.
Going into hiding for protection, often in a safe place or under someone's care.
To evacuate or take shelter. Used for fleeing danger (natural disasters, war) and hiding in a safe location.
The residents took refuge in a safe place.
Passive form of 匿う (to shelter/hide someone). Means to be hidden or sheltered by someone else.
He was hidden by a friend.
隠れる is the everyday word for hiding (e.g., playing hide-and-seek). 身を隠す is more deliberate and often implies hiding from a threat. 潜伏する is used for fugitives or long-term hiding, common in news reports.
The child hid in the closet.
He hid from the police.
The criminal is hiding out deep in the mountains.
隠す (かくす) is transitive and means 'to hide something'. To say you hide yourself, use the intransitive 隠れる or the phrase 身を隠す. Saying 自分を隠す is grammatically possible but sounds unnatural; use 隠れる instead.