躲藏
duǒ cáng · HSK 7
to conceal oneself
🙈 duo-TSANG! = dodge + stash yourself away
躲 (duǒ) means to dodge or avoid, 藏 (cáng) means to hide or store. Together they form a pair: first you dodge, then you stash yourself somewhere safe. Like ducking behind a wall and staying put.
躲 — body 身 + duo 朵 (phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 身 (body) gives the meaning, since hiding involves moving one's body out of sight. The right side 朵 supplies the sound 'duǒ'. The character thus literally suggests 'to move the body aside,' extended to mean hide, dodge, or avoid.
藏 — grass radical 艹 + 臧 (phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The grass radical 艹 on top suggests plants or vegetation used for concealment, while 臧 below provides the sound. Originally meant to hide or conceal something in the grass, later extended to mean 'store' or 'collect,' and when read 'zàng' it means a treasury or storehouse.