cáng
hide; conceal; store; lay by
这个秘密我藏在心里很久了。
Zhège mìmì wǒ cáng zài xīnlǐ hěn jiǔle.
I have kept this secret in my heart for a long time.
他把钱藏在床底下。
Tā bǎ qián cáng zài chuáng dǐxià.
He hid the money under the bed.
这本书藏了很多知识。
Zhè běn shū cángle hěn duō zhīshi.
This book contains a lot of knowledge.
收藏 (shōucáng)
collect
隐藏 (yǐncáng)
hide
露 (lù)
expose
显 (xiǎn)
show
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The Chinese character 藏 (cáng) for "to hide" or "to store" is composed of two parts: the radical 宀 (miàn) and the phonetic component 仓 (cāng). The radical 宀, which means "roof" or "house," indicates that the character is related to a building or shelter. The phonetic component 仓, which is pronounced similarly to 藏, provides the character with its pronunciation.The original form of 藏 was 象形 (xiàngxíng), or pictographic, depicting a person hiding behind a door. Over time, the character evolved and simplified into its current form.In terms of its usage, 藏 can be used as a verb, meaning "to hide" or "to store," or as a noun, meaning "a hiding place" or "a storehouse." For example, the phrase 藏书 (cángshū) means "to store books," while the phrase 藏身 (cángshēn) means "to hide oneself."The character 藏 also has a number of extended meanings. For example, it can be used to refer to "secrets" or "hidden knowledge," as in the phrase 藏龙卧虎 (cánglóng wòhǔ), which means "hidden dragons and crouching tigers" and is used to describe a place with many talented people.Overall, the character 藏 is a versatile and important character in the Chinese language, with a rich history and a variety of meanings.
