(zhàng) — (bound form) barrier, obstacle; (bound form) to guard, to protect

Definition

障 is a bound morpheme meaning 'barrier / obstacle' or 'to shield'. It almost always appears inside compounds such as 障碍, 故障, or 保障 — it is not used alone.

bound form
barrierobstacleto guardto protect

Examples

  • Jǐng chá zài lù shang shè zhì le lù zhàng.
    The police set up roadblocks on the road.
  • Fǎ lǜ bǎo zhàng le gōng mín de hé fǎ quán yì.
    The law protects the legitimate rights of citizens.
  • Zhè tái jī qì chū le gù zhàng.
    This machine has a malfunction.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
Written in full as
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhāngzhàng
Same sound today

The left part 阝, written in full as 阜, sits beside 章, which supplies the sound.

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