HSK · Level 59
105 words
Chinese word
隐约
Pronunciation
Pinyinyǐn yuē
Meaning
- adverbfaintly
Example
月光下，山影隐约可见。yuè guāng xià shān yǐng yǐn yuē kě jiàn
In the moonlight, the mountain's shadow is faintly visible.
More examples
远处隐约传来钟声。yuǎn chù yǐn yuē chuán lái zhōng shēng
The sound of a bell can be faintly heard from far away.
Core concept
A blurred outline or quiet signal reaches awareness through a veil but never becomes fully distinct.
Common phrases
隐约可见yǐn yuē kě jiàn
faintly visible
隐约听见yǐn yuē tīng jiàn
faintly hear
隐约感觉到yǐn yuē gǎn jué dào
faintly feel
Similar words
依稀yī xī: Dimly and vaguely, as a memory or impression comes back only in part.
若隐若现ruò yǐn ruò xiàn: With a shape showing itself and vanishing again in brief, interrupted glimpses.
若有若无ruò yǒu ruò wú: With presence uncertain, so that something may be there but cannot be clearly confirmed.
模糊mó hú: In an unclear, blurry way, with an outline or meaning hard to understand.
Definition in Chinese
用来形容声音、气味、记忆等印象不是很强烈但能察觉到的状态。yòng lái xíng róng shēng yīn qì wèi jì yì děng yìn xiàng bú shì hěn qiáng liè dàn néng chá jué dào de zhuàng tài
Word origin
隐约 (yǐnyuē, "faint and indistinct") joins the idea of being hidden in 隐 (yǐn, "hidden") with the roughness or incompleteness of 约 (yuē, "roughly"), forming a word for an unclear impression.
Usage tips
- This adverb applies to sights, sounds, smells, and memories, so it helps express a partial impression across several everyday situations rather than only poor visibility.
Other meanings
- dimlyadjective
- indistinctlyadjective
Opposites
- 明显地míng xiǎn dìclearlyadverb
- 清楚地qīng chǔ dìdistinctlyadverb