隠
conceal, hide, cover
Readings
On'yomi
- イン
- オン
Kun'yomi
- かく.す
- かく.し
- かく.れる
- よ.る
Nanori
- お
- がくし
Meaning
隠 centers on making something unseen or unknown: concealing, hiding, or covering something from view or knowledge.
Most common words using 隠
20 of 186- 隠しかくし
hiding; concealing; being hidden; being concealed
- 隠すかくすN3
to hide; to conceal
- 隠れかくれ
hidden; concealed; unknown; crypto-
- 隠蔽いんぺい
concealment; hiding; covering up; suppression
- 目隠しめかくし
something used to cover the eyes; blindfold; blinder; blinker; eye bandage
- 隠れ家かくれが
hiding place; hideout; refuge
- 隠れるかくれるN4
to hide; to conceal oneself; to take cover
- 隠れんぼかくれんぼ
hide-and-seek (game); hide-and-go-seek
- 隠密おんみつ
secret; clandestine; covert; stealthy
- 隠岐おき
Oki (former province located on Oki Island in present-day Shimane Prefecture)
- 隠滅いんめつ
destruction (esp. of evidence); spoliation; suppression
- 隠居いんきょN1
retirement (from work); leading a quiet life (after retirement)
- 隠語いんご
secret language; jargon; cant; argot; slang
- 神隠しかみかくし
mysterious disappearance; being spirited away
- 隠れ蓑かくれみの
cover (e.g. for illegal activity); front; guise
- 隠匿いんとく
concealment (esp. of wrongdoings or criminals); sheltering; harboring
- 隠し子かくしご
illegitimate child; secret love child
- 見え隠れみえかくれ
appearing and disappearing; slipping in and out of view
- 隠し事かくしごと
secret; secrecy
- 隠遁いんとん
retirement (from the world); seclusion
Study
Etymology
隠 is the modern simplified form of 隱. The older form combines ⻖ (hill, mound) with a phonetic component that also suggests covering or hiding. The modern form replaces the right side with a simplified structure containing 爫, 彐, and 心.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side ⻖ suggests a mound or hill, and the right side has a hand 爫 reaching over something 彐 to cover the heart 心. Picture hiding a secret heart behind a hill, covering it with your hand.
Reading mnemonic
For イン, imagine hiding inside an inn: inn -> イン, and you conceal yourself behind the hill-like walls.