幕

Traditionally explained as an ideogrammic compound:

莫 (없을 막) – represents the idea of covering or obscuring (like the darkness of evening);

巾 (건, “cloth”) – indicates cloth, drapery

Together, they depict a large piece of cloth used to cover or hang down, i.e., a curtain or tent flap.

In early usage, 幕 meant a cloth screen used to enclose, conceal, or shade a space.

This included:

- military tents

- ceremonial canopies

- temporary partitions

It is widely used for stage curtains, ceremonial tents, and metaphorical “curtains” like the opening (開幕) or closing (閉幕) of events.

장막 (帳幕) — tent; curtain

막사 (幕舍) — military barracks

개막 (開幕) — opening (of an event)

폐막 (閉幕) — closing

막후 (幕後) — behind the scenes

막료 (幕僚) — staff officer; aide (lit. “people of the tent”)

幕 does not merely conceal — it defines a space.

Whether in war, ritual, theater, or politics, 幕 marks:

- the boundary between inside and outside

- the difference between action and appearance.

In later literature, 幕 becomes a metaphor for:

- concealment

- separation between appearance and reality

Related characters:

帳 — tent; account; hanging cloth

帷 — curtain; screen

簾 — blind; hanging screen

巾 — cloth; fabric

莫 — dusk; none (phonetic base)

幕僚 — staff; aides

Classical citations:

Records of the Grand Historian (史記)

「運籌於帷幕之中，決勝於千里之外」

“Planning strategies within the curtained tent, winning victories a thousand miles away.”

Here, 帷幕 symbolizes the command tent, a place of strategy and authority.

Classical military texts

「將居幕中而制四方」

“The general resides within the tent and commands the four directions.”

幕 functions as the center of command, not merely a physical curtain.