堵

• Pinyin: dǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 堵 = 土 (earth) + 者 (phonetic component)

Meaning

To block; to be blocked; to plug up. Describes something obstructing a passage or flow.

Commonly used for physical blockages such as blocked pipes or traffic jams. In everyday speech, 堵 alone often refers to traffic congestion: 路上很堵 (the road is very congested). Can also describe emotional suffocation: 心里堵得慌 (feeling stifled or upset).

Examples

1. 下水道堵了，水流不下去。 The drain is blocked and the water can't flow down.
2. 今天路上特别堵，我迟到了十分钟。 The road was especially congested today, and I was ten minutes late.
3. 门口被一辆大卡车堵住了。 The entrance was blocked by a big truck.

Usage Guide

Context: traffic, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 路太堵了，我们换条路走吧。(The road is too congested — let's take a different route.)
• 下水道堵了，得找人来修。(The drain is blocked — we need to call someone to fix it.)

Don't Say

• 用'堵'代替'挡' (Don't use 堵 when you mean to physically block someone's view — use 挡 for blocking line of sight; 堵 implies plugging or obstructing a passage)

Origin & History

Composed of 土 (earth) and 者 (phonetic component). Originally referred to an earthen wall used to block something.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal