yǐnmán: 隐瞒 - To Conceal, Hide (the truth), Hold Back Information

• Keywords: yinman, 隐瞒, conceal in Chinese, hide a secret in Chinese, hide the truth in Chinese, Chinese word for withholding information, lying by omission in Chinese, cover up, Chinese vocabulary HSK 5
• Summary: Learn the Chinese verb 隐瞒 (yǐnmán), which means to deliberately conceal or hide information, facts, or the truth. This page explores its meaning, cultural context related to “face” and social harmony, and practical usage. Discover how it differs from simply hiding an object (藏, cáng) or telling a lie (撒谎, sāhuǎng), with numerous example sentences for beginner to intermediate learners.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yǐnmán
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To intentionally conceal the truth or hide facts from others.
• In a Nutshell: 隐瞒 (yǐnmán) is the act of deliberately not telling someone the full story. It's not about forgetting a detail; it's a conscious choice to hide information that is usually important. Think of it as “lying by omission.” The word carries a strong negative connotation, implying a breach of trust or an attempt to avoid consequences.

• 隐 (yǐn): This character means “to hide,” “conceal,” or “secret.” The left radical 阝(fù) represents a mound or hill, suggesting something being hidden behind a physical barrier.
• 瞒 (mán): This character means “to deceive” or “to hide from.” It features the eye radical 目 (mù) on the left, implying that you are deceiving someone's eyes or hiding something from their sight.
• Together, 隐瞒 (yǐnmán) combines “to hide” and “to deceive the eye,” creating a powerful verb that means to purposefully hide the truth from someone, effectively deceiving them through omission.

In many Western cultures, particularly American culture, there is a high value placed on “radical transparency” and “brutal honesty.” Hiding information is almost always seen as a serious moral failing. While 隐瞒 (yǐnmán) is also viewed negatively in China, the cultural calculus can sometimes be different, especially when concepts like 面子 (miànzi - “face”) and 和谐 (héxié - harmony) are involved. For example, a doctor might 隐瞒 the full, grim details of a terminal diagnosis from an elderly patient. The intention isn't malicious; it's to protect the patient from unbearable psychological stress and allow them to live their remaining days in peace. This is a form of paternalistic care rooted in filial piety and a desire to maintain emotional harmony, whereas in the West, it would likely be seen as a violation of the patient's right to know. Similarly, an employee might 隐瞒 a small, correctable mistake from their boss to save face for both themselves and their team. If the problem can be fixed without any major consequences, bringing it up might cause unnecessary trouble and embarrassment. This highlights a subtle but important cultural distinction: the act of concealment is judged not just on the act itself, but also heavily on the intent and the outcome for social harmony.

隐瞒 (yǐnmán) is a common word used in situations where trust is broken. Its connotation is almost universally negative.

• In Personal Relationships: This is a very common context. Someone might 隐瞒 a debt from their spouse, 隐瞒 their past relationships, or 隐瞒 their true feelings. It always implies a serious lack of honesty.
• In Business and Official Contexts: Companies might 隐瞒 product defects from the public. Officials might 隐瞒 the true scale of a disaster. In these cases, 隐瞒 means to “cover up.”
• Common Collocations: The most frequent use is with the object “the truth” or “facts.”
  • 隐瞒真相 (yǐnmán zhēnxiàng): to conceal the truth
  • 隐瞒事实 (yǐnmán shìshí): to conceal the facts
  • 向 [someone] 隐瞒 (xiàng [someone] yǐnmán): to hide something from someone.

• Example 1:
  • 他试图隐瞒自己的错误。
  • Pinyin: Tā shìtú yǐnmán zìjǐ de cuòwù.
  • English: He tried to conceal his mistake.
  • Analysis: A straightforward example. 隐瞒 is used for an abstract concept (“mistake”), not a physical object.
• Example 2:
  • 你是不是有什么事在隐瞒我？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ shì bùshì yǒu shé me shì zài yǐnmán wǒ?
  • English: Are you hiding something from me?
  • Analysis: A common question in dramas and real life. The structure is “隐瞒 + person,” directly accusing someone of hiding information.
• Example 3:
  • 公司向公众隐瞒了产品的安全问题。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī xiàng gōngzhòng yǐnmán le chǎnpǐn de ānquán wèntí.
  • English: The company concealed the product's safety issues from the public.
  • Analysis: This uses the important structure “向 (xiàng) + person + 隐瞒,” which means “to conceal from someone.” This is very common in formal or news contexts.
• Example 4:
  • 纸是包不住火的，你不可能永远隐瞒真相。
  • Pinyin: Zhǐ shì bāo bùzhù huǒ de, nǐ bù kěnéng yǒngyuǎn yǐnmán zhēnxiàng.
  • English: You can't wrap fire in paper; you can't conceal the truth forever.
  • Analysis: This uses a famous Chinese proverb (纸包不住火) to emphasize that the truth will eventually come out. 隐瞒真相 is a very common and strong collocation.
• Example 5:
  • 为了不让他担心，家人向他隐瞒了他的病情。
  • Pinyin: Wèile bù ràng tā dānxīn, jiārén xiàng tā yǐnmán le tā de bìngqíng.
  • English: In order not to make him worry, his family concealed his medical condition from him.
  • Analysis: This example shows the cultural nuance discussed earlier. The act of 隐瞒 is negative, but the motivation is positive (to prevent worry).
• Example 6:
  • 他隐瞒了自己已婚的事实。
  • Pinyin: Tā yǐnmán le zìjǐ yǐ hūn de shìshí.
  • English: He concealed the fact that he was already married.
  • Analysis: A classic example of deception in a personal relationship. “隐瞒事实” (conceal the facts) is another key collocation.
• Example 7:
  • 任何人都无权隐瞒犯罪证据。
  • Pinyin: Rènhé rén dōu wú quán yǐnmán fànzuì zhèngjù.
  • English: No one has the right to conceal criminal evidence.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the usage of 隐瞒 in a legal, formal context.
• Example 8:
  • 我决定不再隐瞒我的感受。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ juédìng bù zài yǐnmán wǒ de gǎnshòu.
  • English: I've decided not to hide my feelings anymore.
  • Analysis: Here, the object being concealed is “feelings” (感受), showing its use for intangible, personal things.
• Example 9:
  • 他对自己的过去有所隐瞒。
  • Pinyin: Tā duì zìjǐ de guòqù yǒusuǒ yǐnmán.
  • English: He was somewhat secretive about his past. (Literally: He had some concealment regarding his past.)
  • Analysis: The phrase “有所隐瞒 (yǒusuǒ yǐnmán)” is a slightly more subtle way of saying “to hide something.” It implies that not everything is being said.
• Example 10:
  • 为什么要对我隐瞒这么重要的事情？
  • Pinyin: Wèishéme yào duì wǒ yǐnmán zhème zhòngyào de shìqíng?
  • English: Why would you hide such an important matter from me?
  • Analysis: This uses the “对 (duì) + person” structure, which works similarly to “向 (xiàng) + person.” It expresses a feeling of betrayal.

The most common mistake for English speakers is confusing 隐瞒 (yǐnmán) with 藏 (cáng).

• 藏 (cáng): To hide a physical object. It's about putting something out of sight.
  • Correct: 我把礼物藏在床下面了。(Wǒ bǎ lǐwù cáng zài chuáng xiàmiàn le.) - I hid the gift under the bed.
  • Incorrect: 我把礼物隐瞒在床下面了。
• 隐瞒 (yǐnmán): To hide information, facts, secrets, truth. It's about keeping knowledge from someone.
  • Correct: 他向我隐瞒了他的计划。(Tā xiàng wǒ yǐnmán le tā de jìhuà.) - He hid his plan from me.
  • Incorrect: 他向我藏了他的计划。

Think of it this way: if you can physically touch it, you 藏 (cáng) it. If it's a piece of information or a fact, you 隐瞒 (yǐnmán) it.

• 欺骗 (qīpiàn) - To deceive, to cheat. This is broader than 隐瞒 and often involves active lying or trickery, whereas 隐瞒 can simply be omission.
• 撒谎 (sāhuǎng) - To tell a lie. This is a specific action of saying something untrue. 隐瞒 is not telling the truth, but not necessarily saying something false.
• 掩盖 (yǎngài) - To cover up. Very similar to 隐瞒, but often used for larger-scale things like scandals, crimes, or major errors. It has a stronger sense of “covering tracks.”
• 保密 (bǎomì) - To keep a secret, to maintain confidentiality. This is often neutral or positive. Your job may require you to 保密, which is a duty. 隐瞒 is a personal, negative choice.
• 坦白 (tǎnbái) - To confess, to be frank. This is a direct antonym. If you stop 隐瞒-ing, you decide to 坦白.
• 真相 (zhēnxiàng) - The truth. This is the noun that is most often the object of the verb 隐瞒.
• 秘密 (mìmì) - A secret (noun). You can choose to 隐瞒 a 秘密.
• 躲藏 (duǒcáng) - To hide oneself (physically). This is for a person or animal hiding their body, not for concealing information.