TongTong
Sign in

阻塞 (zǔ sè) — to block up, to obstruct, to clog

Definition

A physical 'block / clog' — something (a pipe, road, passage) is stopped up so things can't pass through.

verb
to block upto obstructto clog

Examples

  • 阻塞，。
    Xià shuǐ dào zǔ sè le, shuǐ pái bù chū qù.
    The sewer is clogged, and the water can't drain out.
  • 阻塞。
    Bào fēng xuě zǔ sè le gāo sù gōng lù.
    The snowstorm blocked the highway.
  • 阻塞，。
    Shuǐ guǎn bèi zá wù zǔ sè le, xū yào shū tōng.
    The water pipe is blocked by debris and needs to be unclogged.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

阻zǔblock
塞sāiblock up

Both 阻 and 塞 express stopping or blocking, so the word means to obstruct.

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
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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 工工gōngtwo items
  • 廾廾gǒngtwo hands

塞 combines 宀 (house), 工 (two items), and 廾 (two hands), showing hands stuffing items into a house.

Open 塞 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.