隐约
yǐn yuē · HSK 7
vague
🌫️ 隐 hidden + 约 approximate = something half-hidden and only roughly there: faint, vague
隐 means concealed or hidden; 约 means approximate or roughly. Put together they describe a thing you register only approximately because it is partly hidden: faint, indistinct, barely defined.
约 — silk radical 糹/纟 + ladle 勺
约 combines the silk radical 糹 with 勺 (ladle), which provides the sound. Originally it referred to binding or tying with silk cords, from which came the meanings 'to bind by agreement,' hence 'pact, appointment,' and later 'approximately' (a loose, tied-up estimate).