掩 meaning and stroke order
To cover up (with a hand); to ambush, to conceal; to shut
How to write 掩, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 掩
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to cover up; to conceal
- to close (a door, book etc)
- (coll.) to get (one's fingers etc) caught when closing a door or lid
- (literary) to launch a surprise attack
How 掩 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 奄 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 掩
The hand radical 扌 shows a hand covering something, and 奄 (yǎn) on the right gives the sound. Picture a hand reaching over to cover up or shut what is beside it.
掩 is mostly used in two-character words like 掩盖 (yǎngài), 掩饰 (yǎnshì) and 掩护 (yǎnhù), often for hiding facts, feelings or mistakes. It can also mean to close a door gently or to catch your fingers in one. Example: 他想掩饰自己的紧张。(Tā xiǎng yǎnshì zìjǐ de jǐnzhāng.) He wanted to hide his nervousness.
Common mistake: Learners confuse 掩 with 淹 (yān, to flood or drown), which shares 奄 but uses the water radical 氵 and has first tone. Remember that a hand covers (掩) while water floods (淹).
Common words with 掩
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 掩护 | yǎnhù | to screen; to shield | HSK 7-9 |
| 掩盖 | yǎngài | to conceal; to hide behind | HSK 7-9 |
| 掩饰 | yǎnshì | to cover up; to conceal | HSK 7-9 |
| 掩体 | yǎntǐ | bunker (military) | |
| 掩埋 | yǎnmái | to bury | |
| 遮掩 | zhēyǎn | to cover; to mask | |
| 掩藏 | yǎncáng | hidden; covered | |
| 打掩护 | dǎyǎnhù | (military) to provide cover for (friendly forces); (fig.) to cover up for sb | |
| 遮遮掩掩 | zhēzhēyǎnyǎn | to be secretive; to try to cover up (idiom) |
掩 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 掩
How many strokes are in 掩?
掩 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 掩 mean?
掩 (yǎn) means to cover up (with a hand); to ambush, to conceal; to shut. A common word with it is 掩护 (yǎnhù), meaning "to screen; to shield".
How do you pronounce 掩?
掩 is pronounced yǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 掩?
The radical of 掩 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 掩 under this radical.
Is 掩 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 掩 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 掩盖 and 掩饰?
掩盖 (yǎngài) means to cover or hide something so it cannot be seen, such as facts, a smell or a problem. 掩饰 (yǎnshì) focuses on disguising your true feelings or faults with a false appearance, such as 掩饰失望 (to hide disappointment).
How do you say to cover your mouth while laughing with 掩?
Use the set phrase 掩口而笑 (yǎn kǒu ér xiào) or the idiom 掩嘴笑 (yǎn zuǐ xiào), meaning to laugh behind your hand. Another common idiom is 掩耳盗铃 (yǎn ěr dào líng), to cover your ears while stealing a bell, which describes fooling yourself.