Japanese symbol for “conceal”
隠す
かくす
Romaji: kakusu
to hide; to conceal
In Japanese, conceal is 隠す, read かくす (kakusu).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v5s, vt to hide; to conceal
Written forms: 隠す、匿す、隱す、隠くす. Readings: かくす.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “conceal”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 覆う | おおう oou | to cover; to hide; to conceal |
| 包む | つつむ tsutsumu | to conceal (a feeling); to hide |
| 飲む | のむ nomu | to carry (a concealed dagger, etc.); to conceal (up one's sleeve, etc.) |
| 包み隠す | つつみかくす tsutsumikakusu | to conceal; to keep secret; to cover up |
| 伏せる | ふせる fuseru | to conceal; to hide; to keep secret |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 隠居 | いんきょ inkyo | retirement (from work); leading a quiet life (after retirement) |
| 目隠し | めかくし mekakushi | something used to cover the eyes; blindfold; blinder |
| 隠滅 | いんめつ inmetsu | destruction (esp. of evidence); spoliation; suppression |
| 隠れ家 | かくれが kakurega | hiding place; hideout; refuge |
| 隠匿 | いんとく intoku | concealment (esp. of wrongdoings or criminals); sheltering; harboring |
See also: Chinese symbol for “conceal”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.