遮风挡雨 (zhē fēng dǎng yǔ) — to keep out the wind and rain; to provide shelter and protection (literal or figurative)

Definition

Literal 'to keep out the wind and rain' (a house, umbrella, etc.), but often used figuratively to mean sheltering or protecting someone from life's hardships.

idiom
to keep out the wind and rainto provide shelter and protection (literal or figurative)

Examples

  • ，遮风挡雨。
    Zhè suǒ fáng zi suī xiǎo, dàn néng wèi wǒ men zhē fēng dǎng yǔ.
    Although this house is small, it can shelter us from the wind and rain.
  • 遮风挡雨，。
    Yì bǎ hǎo de yǔ sǎn kě yǐ zhē fēng dǎng yǔ, chū mén yí dìng yào dài zhe.
    A good umbrella can keep out the wind and rain, so be sure to bring one when you go out.
  • 遮风挡雨，。
    Fù mǔ zǒng shì jìn lì wèi hái zi zhē fēng dǎng yǔ, ràng tā men jiàn kāng chéng zhǎng.
    Parents always do their best to shield their children from hardship so they can grow up healthy.

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.

遮风shield wind
遮zhēshield风fēngwind
动宾Verb + object
挡雨block rain
挡dǎngblock雨yǔrain
动宾Verb + object

遮 stops wind and 挡 stops rain, giving shelter from wind and rain.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuòroad
Sound part声符shēngfú
庶
庶shù遮zhē
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

遮 has 辶, a road-like part, and 庶 (shù, 'numerous'), which gives it its sound.

Open 遮 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 风 →

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 擋; 挡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
當
當dāng擋dǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 擋 pairs 扌 (hand) with 當 as the sound part; this note is about 擋, not about the parts of 挡.

Open 挡 →

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

The shape 雨 is an old picture of a cloud with rain drops falling from it; the top line was added later.

Open 雨 →

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