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藏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
藏zàngto concealHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏zàngTibetHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏zàngto hide awayHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏zàngXizang 西藏HSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏zàngto harborHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏zàngstorehouseHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏zàngto storeHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏zàngdepositoryHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏zàngto collectHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏zàngBuddhist or Taoist scriptureHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏zàngto conceal, to hide; to hoard, to storeHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏cángto concealHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏cángTibetHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏cángto hide awayHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏cángXizang 西藏HSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏cángto harborHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏cángstorehouseHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏cángto storeHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏cángdepositoryHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏cángto collectHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏cángBuddhist or Taoist scriptureHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
藏cángto conceal, to hide; to hoard, to storeHSK 5, j, 17 strokes, radical 艹, rank #791, Hard
cáng(cang2)
primary
 T2
  1. 1to conceal
  2. 2Tibet
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

藏cáng(cang2)

The character 藏 (cáng) primarily means 'to conceal' or 'to hide away.' It is commonly used in contexts involving storage or hoarding, as well as referring to Tibet (西藏, Xīzàng), which is known for its rich cultural and religious heritage, including Buddhist scriptures. The nuance of this word can vary, depending on whether it refers to physical hiding or metaphorical concealment.

Strokes17Radical艹Frequency#791DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

藏 is closely tied to Tibetan culture, reflecting the region's history of spirituality and the preservation of Buddhist scriptures. The notion of藏文化 (zàng wénhuà, Tibetan culture) highlights the importance of safeguarding traditions and teachings in this unique area of China.

Memory Tip

Imagine a treasure chest (藏) hidden in a lush, green forest (the radical 艹 suggests plants). Visualize someone whispering the secret location of this treasure (pronounced 'cáng') while keeping it safely concealed from others. This vivid image links the character's form and sound to its meaning of hiding or storing.

Meanings of 藏

cáng(cang2)
primary
1to conceal
2Tibet
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 藏

藏Simplified
17Strokes
艹Radical
简称abbreviation (abbr.)Part of Speech
#791Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL5HSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 藏

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Podcast: 藏

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AI Study Notes for 藏

Quick Contrast

藏 (cáng) vs 隐藏 (yǐncáng) — use 藏 for general hiding or storing, while 隐藏 emphasizes secrecy or concealment.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 藏 with other similar characters like 隐 (yǐn), which also means to hide but carries a different connotation. 藏 is often used in both formal and informal contexts, especially in literature or discussions about Tibetan culture. Be mindful of the tone, as mispronouncing it can lead to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 藏 is not listed in the official HSK levels, it connects to themes of storage and concealment found in vocabulary at HSK 4 and above. Students should focus on its use in phrases related to storing items or hiding information, as well as its cultural significance in discussions about Tibet.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 藏 with 藏匿 (cángnì), which means 'to hide away' but implies a more secretive or illegal connotation. Always use 藏 for general hiding or storing contexts, and be cautious with the context when adding modifiers.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 藏

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Etymology of 藏

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

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 臧 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

grass

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)臧
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 藏

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 臧 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half臧 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygrass
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 藏? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 藏?

Decomposition of 藏

IDS Structure⿱艹臧
藏Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
臧Zang1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 藏?

How to say to conceal in Chinese

“to conceal” in Chinese is藏zàng

The character 藏 (cáng) primarily means 'to conceal' or 'to hide away.' It is commonly used in contexts involving storage or hoarding, as well as referring to Tibet (西藏, Xīzàng), which is known for its rich cultural and religious heritage, including Buddhist scriptures. The nuance of this word can vary, depending on whether it refers to physical hiding or metaphorical concealment.

When to use 藏

Common mistakes include confusing 藏 with other similar characters like 隐 (yǐn), which also means to hide but carries a different connotation. 藏 is often used in both formal and informal contexts, especially in literature or discussions about Tibetan culture. Be mindful of the tone, as mispronouncing it can lead to misunderstandings.

藏 or something close to it

藏 (cáng) vs 隐藏 (yǐncáng) — use 藏 for general hiding or storing, while 隐藏 emphasizes secrecy or concealment.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 藏 with 藏匿 (cángnì), which means 'to hide away' but implies a more secretive or illegal connotation. Always use 藏 for general hiding or storing contexts, and be cautious with the context when adding modifiers.

Write 藏

藏

Practice writing 藏 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 藏

藏 carries 11 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Related grammar lessons2
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

我们先把礼物____起来。

Let's hide the gifts first.

Example Sentences for 藏 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你可以将收藏的全部CD保存在电脑硬盘上。

nǐ kě yǐ jiāng shōu cáng de quán bùCD CD bǎo cún zài diàn nǎo yìng pán。

You can store your entire CD collection on the computer's hard drive.
2
你是不是收藏了大量的书籍、报纸和纪念品？

nǐ shì bù shì shōu cáng le dà liáng de shū jí、 、 bào zhǐ hé jì niàn？

Do you keep many books and papers and memorabilia?
3
任何隐藏的东西都是有害的（所以披露就等于安全）。

rèn hé yǐn cáng de dōng xī dū shì yǒu hài de（ （ suǒ yǐ pī lòu jiù děng yú ān）。

Whatever is hidden is harmful (hence revelation equals security).
4
我把1亿美元藏到了一个永远没人会找到的地方。

wǒ bǎ1 1 yì měi yuán cáng dào le yī gè yǒng yuǎn méi rén huì zhǎo dào de dì。

I have $100m hidden away where no one will ever find it.
5
他们走近时，小男孩急忙跑开藏了起来。

tā mén zǒu jìn shí， ， xiǎo nán hái jí máng pǎo kāi cáng le qǐ。

At their approach the little boy scurried away and hid.
6
这张照片在档案室中藏了40多年。

zhè zhāng zhào piàn zài dàng àn shì zhōng cáng le40 40 duō。

The picture lay hidden in the archives for over 40 years.
7
我所从事的职业中暗藏着如此深的种族主义偏见，这让我感到害怕。

wǒ suǒ cóng shì de zhí yè zhōng àn cáng zháo rú cǐ shēn de zhǒng zú zhǔ yì piān jiàn， ， zhè ràng wǒ gǎn dào hài。

The depth of covert racism in my own profession frightens me.
8
用贮藏的一罐炼乳为茶添加了甜味。

yòng zhù cáng de yī guàn liàn rǔ wéi chá tiān jiā le tián wèi。

The tea was sweetened with a hoarded tin of condensed milk.
9
他粗暴的外表下藏着一颗非常善良的心。

tā cū bào de wài biǎo xià cáng zháo yī kē fēi cháng shàn liáng de xīn。

His gruff exterior concealed one of the kindest hearts.
10
在过去的17年中，收藏的规模不断扩大。

zài guò qù de17 17 nián， zhōng ， shōu cáng de guī mó bù duàn。

The collection has been built up over the last seventeen years.

Word Family of 藏

Compounds1
贜
Words Containing This Character20
藏cángto conceal
收藏shōucángto hoard
隐藏yǐncángto hide隱藏
西藏Tibet
宝藏bǎozànghidden treasure寶藏
藏身cángshēnto hide
珍藏zhēncángcollection
青藏Qinghai and Tibet
藏匿cángnìto cover up
储藏室storeroom儲藏室
躲藏duǒcángto conceal oneself
埋藏máicángto bury
藏族Tibetan ethnic group
冷藏refrigeration
收藏家a collector (e.g. of artworks)
储藏to store儲藏
藏品cángpǐnmuseum piece
蕴藏yùncángto hold in store蘊藏
藏书to collect books藏書
青藏高原Qinghai-Tibetan plateau
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 藏 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 藏

While both 藏 (cáng) and 隐藏 (yǐncáng) mean 'to hide,' 藏 is more about physical concealment, whereas 隐藏 refers to hiding something in a more abstract sense, such as emotions or intentions. Understanding this distinction can help improve your Chinese communication skills.

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