隐瞒

隐瞒 (yǐn mán) is a Chinese verb that essentially means 'to conceal' or 'to hide.' Think of it as the act of keeping information tucked away from others on purpose.

When you use this word, you are usually talking about someone who knows the truth but chooses not to share it. It carries a sense of intentionality; you aren't just forgetting to tell someone, you are actively choosing to keep them in the dark.

It is a very common word in both formal and daily life. You might hear it in a news report about a company hiding its debt, or in a casual conversation between friends about a secret someone didn't want to reveal.

The word 隐瞒 is a compound of two characters that both relate to the concept of being hidden or obscure. The first character, 隐 (yǐn), comes from the radical for 'mound' or 'hill' (阝), suggesting something hidden behind a physical barrier or in a secluded place.

The second character, 瞒 (mán), specifically relates to the act of deceiving or blinding someone to the truth. Historically, it implies covering someone's eyes or obscuring their vision so they cannot see the reality of a situation.

Together, they form a powerful term that describes the psychological act of keeping secrets. While the characters have ancient roots, the modern compound has become the standard way to express the act of concealment in Mandarin Chinese.

You use 隐瞒 when there is a subject who is hiding something from an object (usually a person or a group). The structure is typically Subject + 隐瞒 + [Object/Truth] + from [Person].

Common collocations include 隐瞒真相 (hiding the truth) and 隐瞒事实 (hiding the facts). It is often used in serious or professional settings, such as legal or workplace contexts where honesty is expected.

It is important to note that 隐瞒 is almost always used in a negative context. You wouldn't use it for a surprise birthday party; for that, you would use 'secret' (秘密). Use this word when the concealment is meant to mislead or deceive.

1. 隐瞒真相 (yǐn mán zhēn xiàng): To hide the truth. Example: The company tried to hide the truth about the accident.

2. 遮遮掩掩 (zhē zhē yǎn yǎn): To act evasive or secretive. Example: Don't be so evasive; just tell me what happened.

3. 瞒天过海 (mán tiān guò hǎi): To deceive everyone. Example: He thought he could pull a fast one on the boss.

4. 纸包不住火 (zhǐ bāo bù zhù huǒ): Truth will come out. Example: You can't hide it forever; the truth always comes out.

5. 欲盖弥彰 (yù gài mí zhāng): The more you try to hide it, the more obvious it becomes. Example: His attempts to hide his guilt only made it more obvious.

As a verb, 隐瞒 is transitive and usually requires an object. You can say '他隐瞒了事实' (He concealed the facts).

The pronunciation is yǐn (third tone) and mán (second tone). The first syllable is a low-dipping tone, and the second is a rising tone.

It is not a noun, so you don't use it with articles or plural markers. It is a pure action word. In terms of register, it is quite versatile, fitting into both formal reports and intense personal arguments.