拦阻 (lán zǔ) — to obstruct, to impede, to block

Definition

A formal/literary verb for physically blocking or stopping someone or something from advancing. The result-complement 拦住 emphasizes the actual stop; 拦阻 stresses the act of hindering or impeding.

verb
to obstructto impedeto block

Examples

  • 拦阻。
    Jǐng chá lán zǔ le nà liàng chāo sù de chē.
    The police stopped the speeding car.
  • 拦阻。
    Rèn hé kùn nan dōu wú fǎ lán zǔ wǒ men qián jìn.
    No difficulty can stop us from moving forward.
  • 拦阻，。
    Tā zài mén kǒu lán zǔ zhù wǒ, bú ràng wǒ jìn qù.
    He blocked me at the door and wouldn't let me in.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

拦lánblock
阻zǔhinder

拦 and 阻 both mean to stop or hinder; together they describe blocking or impeding something.

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 攔; 拦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhands
Sound part声符shēngfú
闌
闌lán攔lán
Same sound today

In the traditional form 攔, 扌 (hands) is paired with 闌, which gives the sound. The simplified 拦 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the original sound part.

Open 拦 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě阻zǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

阻 is built from 阝 (written in full as 阜) on the left and 且 on the right, which gives the sound.

Open 阻 →

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