隐忍

隱忍
yǐnrěn
verb #34,373

Meanings

  1. 1 to suffer in silence
  2. 2 to endure hardship without complaint
  3. 3 to swallow one's grievances

Examples

HSK 5
Tā yǐnrěn le duō nián, cóngbù bàoyuàn.
She endured in silence for years, never complaining.
HSK 6
Tā xuǎnzé yǐnrěn, děngdài shíjī.
He chose to bear it silently and wait for the right moment.

Tips

register
隐忍 is more literary than plain 忍 - it carries the connotation of stoic, prolonged self-restraint, often used for hidden grief, grudges, or strategic patience. A famous line from Sima Qian: 隐忍苟活 (to bear it silently and live on), describing his own choice after castration to finish 《史记》 (Records of the Grand Historian).

Stroke Order

隐 yǐn
忍 rěn