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绊脚石 (bàn jiǎo shí) — stumbling block, obstacle

Definition

A stumbling block — a thing that trips you up, focusing on the object that causes the problem. 障碍 is broader (any barrier, can be abstract); 钉子 as 'obstacle' implies a deliberate, person-made snag.

noun
stumbling blockobstacle

Examples

  • 绊脚石。
    Zī jīn bù zú shì gōng sī fā zhǎn de zhǔ yào bàn jiǎo shí.
    Insufficient funds are the main stumbling block to the company's development.
  • 绊脚石。
    Wǒ men xū yào xiǎng bàn fǎ jiě jué zhè ge bàn jiǎo shí.
    We need to find a way to remove this obstacle.
  • 绊脚石，。
    Tā kè fú le suǒ yǒu de bàn jiǎo shí, zuì zhōng qǔ dé le chéng gōng.
    He overcame all the stumbling blocks and finally achieved success.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

绊脚trip a foot
绊bàntrip脚jiǎofoot
动宾Verb + object
石shístone

绊脚 means to trip a foot, and 石 is stone, together forming an obstacle that trips you.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絆; 绊 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
半
半bàn絆bàn
Same sound today

In 絆, the traditional form of 绊, the part 糸 shows silk and 半 gives the sound.

Open 绊 →

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 腳; 脚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat, body
Sound part声符shēngfú
卻
卻què腳jiǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 腳 uses ⺼ for a body part and 卻 for the sound; the simplified 脚 is a later shorthand.

Open 脚 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 石 shows a stone under a cliff-like overhang, or a cave set into a cliff side.

Open 石 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract Concepts

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