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壁垒 (bì lěi) — (historical) rampart, defensive wall of a fortress; (figurative) barrier, obstacle (e.g. trade barrier, ideological barrier)

Definition

壁垒 is a formal, written term for a barrier — literal (rampart) or figurative (trade, ideological). Stronger and more literary than 障碍; for intangible emotional barriers, use 隔阂.

noun
(historical) rampartdefensive wall of a fortress(figurative) barrierobstacle (e.g. trade barrier, ideological barrier)
Measure word · 道

Examples

  • 壁垒。
    Zhè zuò gǔ chéng de bì lěi bǎo cún dé hěn wán zhěng.
    The ramparts of this ancient city are well preserved.
  • 壁垒。
    Liǎng guó zhī jiān xū yào xiāo chú mào yì bì lěi.
    The two countries need to remove trade barriers.
  • 壁垒。
    Sī xiǎng shàng de bì lěi bǐ wù zhì shàng de gèng nán dǎ pò.
    Ideological barriers are harder to break down than material ones.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

壁bìwall
垒lěirampart

壁 and 垒 both name defensive walls, together giving barrier.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
辟
辟pì壁bì
Same sound today

壁 combines 土 (earth) and 辟, which gives the sound. The whole means an earthen wall.

Open 壁 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 壘; 垒 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔdirt
Sound part声符shēngfú
畾
畾léi壘lěi
Same sound today

The traditional 壘 has 土 (dirt) and 畾 as a sound part; the simplified 垒 is a later shorthand.

Open 垒 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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