📖 Meaning
To conceal one's whereabouts and bury one's name so as to avoid being recognized or found. It describes someone who deliberately hides their identity and stays out of public view, often to escape danger or live in seclusion.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom combines two parallel phrases: 隐迹 (hide one's traces) and 埋名 (bury one's name), both expressing the idea of concealing one's identity. Such expressions appear throughout classical Chinese literature, particularly in tales of hermits, fugitives, and those who chose to withdraw from worldly affairs. The concept reflects the traditional Chinese cultural ideal of retreating from society to preserve one's integrity or safety. No single definitive textual origin is recorded for this specific four-character combination.
💡 Example Usage
他为了躲避仇家，隐迹埋名，在深山中过起了隐居生活。
To escape his enemies, he concealed his whereabouts and name, living a reclusive life deep in the mountains.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 隐迹埋名
- Pinyin: yǐn jì mái míng
- Literal Translation: hide traces, bury name
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4