匿 (nì) is a Chinese character meaning “to hide”. It is written from 匸 (open box, concealing enclosure) and 若 (as if; like), one enclosing the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to hide”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
匸 + 若
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 匿，亡也。从匸若声（现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 核验：匸 2 画包围 若 8 画，笔序为首横 → 若 8 画 → 竖折，radStrokes [0,9]）
Memory aid
Someone slips inside the hiding enclosure (匸) and acts as if (若) no one is there — they have gone into hiding.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 匿名nì mínganonymous匿 = nì
- 隐匿yǐn nìto hide; to conceal匿 = nì
Go deeper
All readings
to hide
to hide; to conceal; to go into hiding
隐藏，不让人知道或看见。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 匿名nì mínganonymous匿 = nì
- 隐匿yǐn nìto hide; to conceal匿 = nì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 匿 mean?
匿 (nì) means to hide; to conceal; to go into hiding.
How do you pronounce 匿?
It is pronounced nì.
What parts is 匿 made of?
匸 (open box, concealing enclosure) and 若 (as if; like), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 匿，亡也。从匸若声（现代字形对照 hanzi-writer-data 核验：匸 2 画包围 若 8 画，笔序为首横 → 若 8 画 → 竖折，radStrokes [0,9]）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 匿 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 匿?
匸. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 匿?
Common ones are 匿名 and 隐匿. The reading of 匿 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.