yǎn

弇

Character · VerbTraditional掩

cover; conceal; hide

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

2 senses · 5 examples
1.

verb

to cover (something) with something else; to place over

literary

Literary usage. Originally refers to covering an object with another object to hide or protect it. Often used in classical texts and formal written Chinese.

Yǐ以
yī衣
yǎn掩
miàn面

Covering the face with clothing.

Tā他
yòng用
xiù袖
zi子
yǎn掩
zhù住
kǒu口
bí鼻
 。

He covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

2.

verb

to conceal; to hide from view; to screen; to mask

literary

Implies intentionally hiding something to prevent discovery. Commonly used in compounds like 掩盖 (cover up), 掩饰 (cover up/conceal), and 掩人耳目 (deceive the public).

Bái白
yún云
yǎn掩
yuè月

White clouds obscuring the moon.

Tā他
shì试
tú图
yǎn掩
gài盖
shì事
shí实
zhēn真
xiàng相
 。

He tried to conceal the truth of the matter.

Show 1 more example
Yǎn掩
rén人
ěr耳
mù目

To pull the wool over someone's eyes; to deceive the public.