The Chinese word **遮掩** is a compound verb formed by combining two nearly synonymous characters: **遮** (zhē), meaning "to cover" or "to block from view," and **掩** (yǎn), meaning "to conceal" or "to hide." This combination follows a common pattern in Chinese where two characters with similar meanings are paired to create a single, often more nuanced or emphatic term. Together, **遮掩** means "to cover up," "to conceal," or "to obscure," and it can refer to physically hiding something (like with a cloth) or metaphorically covering up a truth, mistake, or emotion, with the dual characters reinforcing the sense of a thorough or deliberate act of hiding.