Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
掩 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
掩yǎnto cover upv, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #16395, Hard
掩yǎnto closev, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #16395, Hard
掩yǎnto surprisev, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #16395, Hard
掩yǎnto cover up (with a hand); to ambush, to conceal; to shutv, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #16395, Hard
yǎn(yan3) T3
  1. 1to cover up
  2. 2to close
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

掩yǎn(yan3)

The character 掩 (yǎn) primarily means 'to cover up' or 'to conceal.' It is often used in contexts where something is hidden or shielded from view, such as covering one's face or ambushing someone. This character can also imply a sense of surprise or an unexpected action.

Strokes11Radical扌Frequency#16395DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese opera, actors often use masks or makeup to conceal their identities, embodying the concept of 掩 in their performances. This reflects the cultural importance of appearance versus reality in storytelling.

Memory Tip

Imagine a hand (the radical 扌) covering your eyes to surprise you. The character 掩 looks like a hand (扌) covering something (the 'cover' part at the bottom), which helps you remember that 'yǎn' means to conceal or cover up.

Meanings of 掩

yǎn(yan3)
1to cover up
2to close
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 掩

掩Simplified
11Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#16395Frequency Rank

Podcast: 掩

JasonAmy

Podcast: 掩

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 掩

Quick Contrast

掩 (yǎn) vs 遮 (zhē) — use 掩 when emphasizing the act of covering or concealing something, while 遮 focuses more on blocking or obstructing visibility.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a hand (the radical 扌) covering your eyes to surprise you. The character 掩 looks like a hand (扌) covering something (the 'cover' part at the bottom), which helps you remember that 'yǎn' means to conceal or cover up.

Usage Notes

When using 掩, be mindful of the context; it is more formal and may not be suitable for casual conversation. Common collocations include 掩盖 (yǎn gài, to cover up) and 掩护 (yǎn hù, to protect or shield). Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words that have different meanings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 掩 is not listed in the HSK levels, it is useful for learners familiar with HSK 4 and above. Focus on recognizing its usage in phrases related to concealment and protection, as these concepts are often explored in intermediate-level texts.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese opera, actors often use masks or makeup to conceal their identities, embodying the concept of 掩 in their performances. This reflects the cultural importance of appearance versus reality in storytelling.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 掩 with 盖 (gài, to cover), using it incorrectly in phrases like '掩房子' (yǎn fángzi) instead of '盖房子' (gài fángzi, to cover the house). Remember that 掩 specifically implies a sense of concealment.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 掩

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 掩 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 掩

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 奄 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

hand

Semantic (meaning)扌
+
Phonetic (sound)奄
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 掩?

Decomposition of 掩

IDS Structure⿰扌奄
掩Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
奄yan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 掩?

Write 掩

掩

Practice writing 掩 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 掩

掩 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

这种做生意的方式偷偷摸摸，遮遮____掩。

It is a sneaky and underhand way of doing business.

Example Sentences for 掩 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这种做生意的方式偷偷摸摸，遮遮掩掩。

zhè zhǒng zuò shēng yì de fāng shì tōu tōu mō mō， ， zhē zhē yǎn。

It is a sneaky and underhand way of doing business.
2
除非是直接被击中，否则这个地下掩体是非常安全的。

chú fēi shì zhí jiē bèi jī zhōng， ， fǒu zé zhè gè dì xià yǎn tǐ shì fēi cháng ān quán。

The dug-outs were secure from everything but a direct hit.
3
她猜想他正在尽力掩饰笑容。

tā cāi xiǎng tā zhèng zài jìn lì yǎn shì xiào róng。

She fancied he was trying to hide a smile.
4
我们怎么知道你不只是在为自己的朋友遮掩呢？

wǒ mén zěn mó zhī dào nǐ bù zhī shì zài wéi zì jǐ de péng yǒu zhē yǎn ne？

How do we know you're not just covering up for your friend?
5
敌人现在一定在挖掩体，准备迎接进攻。

dí rén xiàn zài yī dìng zài wā yǎn tǐ， ， zhǔn bèi yíng jiē jìn。

The enemy must be digging themselves in now ready for the attack.
6
最新报道说泥石流掩埋了整个整个的村庄。

zuì xīn bào dào shuō ní shí liú yǎn mái le zhěng gè zhěng gè de cūn zhuāng。

Latest reports say that mud slides buried entire villages.
7
它们看上去有益健康，实则掩盖了其为精加工食品这一事实。

tā mén kàn shàng qù yǒu yì jiàn kāng， ， shí zé yǎn gài le qí wéi jīng jiā gōng shí pǐn zhè yī shì。

Their healthy image disguises the fact that they are highly processed foods.
8
迪肯毫不掩饰自己对贝尔顿的憎恶。

dí kěn háo bù yǎn shì zì jǐ duì bèi ěr dùn de zēng è。

Deacon made no secret of his loathing of Bayldon.
9
他们都穿着田径服，似乎想掩饰他们的真实职能。

tā mén dū chuān zháo tián jìng fú， ， sì hū xiǎng yǎn shì tā mén de zhēn shí zhí。

They were decked out in tracksuits, seemingly to dissimulate their true function.
10
但和其他慈善机构一样，这些数字掩盖了实情。

dàn hé qí tā cí shàn jī gòu yī yàng， ， zhè xiē shù zì yǎn gài le shí。

But as with other charitable bodies, these figures mask the true picture.

Cultural Notes for 掩

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese opera, actors often use masks or makeup to conceal their identities, embodying the concept of 掩 in their performances. This reflects the cultural importance of appearance versus reality in storytelling.

Word Family of 掩

Words Containing This Character16
掩护yǎnhùto screen掩護
掩盖yǎngàito conceal掩蓋
掩饰yǎnshìto cover up掩飾
掩yǎnto close
遮掩to cover
掩埋to bury
掩体bunker (military)掩體
掩藏hidden
掩人耳目to fool people (idiom)
掩映hidden from view
遮遮掩掩to be secretive; to try to cover up (idiom)
掩蔽shelter
掩耳盗铃to deceive oneself掩耳盜鈴
瑕不掩瑜the pros outweigh the cons (idiom)
掩杀to make a surprise attack掩殺
掩耳to refuse to listen
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 掩护 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 掩

You can say '他用手掌掩住了脸' (Tā yòng shǒuzhǎng yǎn zhùle liǎn), meaning 'He covered his face with his palm.'