匿 meaning and stroke order
To hide; to go into hiding
How to write 匿, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 匿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to hide
How 匿 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Box.
匸 gives the meaning and 若 hints at the sound.
Radical: 匸 (box), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 匿
The frame 匸 (xì) is a box open on one side, a place to tuck things away. Picture someone, 若 (ruò), squeezed inside that box so no one can see them: they are hiding.
匿 is rarely used alone in modern Chinese. It appears in formal or written words like 匿名 (nìmíng, anonymous), 藏匿 (cángnì, to conceal) and the idiom 销声匿迹 (xiāoshēngnìjì, to vanish without trace). Example: 他写了一封匿名信。(Tā xiěle yì fēng nìmíngxìn.) He wrote an anonymous letter.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse the frame 匸 with 匚 (fāng) in characters like 区 or 医, but both are written as a three-sided enclosure open on the right, so focus on 若 inside. Also, the tone is fourth tone nì, not ruò like the phonetic part 若 might suggest.
Common words with 匿
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
匿 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 匿
How many strokes are in 匿?
匿 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 匿 mean?
匿 (nì) means to hide; to go into hiding. A common word with it is 匿名 (nìmíng), meaning "anonymous; to remain anonymous".
How do you pronounce 匿?
匿 is pronounced nì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 匿?
The radical of 匿 is 匸, which carries the idea of "box". Dictionaries list 匿 under this radical.
Is 匿 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 匿 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 匿名 and 无名?
匿名 (nìmíng) means someone deliberately hides their name, like an anonymous tip or letter. 无名 (wúmíng) means nameless or unknown, such as 无名英雄, an unsung hero.
Can I use 匿 instead of 藏 or 躲 in everyday speech?
Not usually. In daily conversation people say 躲 (duǒ) or 藏 (cáng) for hiding. 匿 sounds formal and appears mostly in fixed words, news reports and legal language, such as 隐匿证据 (hiding evidence).