阻挡

• Pinyin: zǔ dǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 阻 = 阝+ 且 (mound + moreover — terrain obstacle); 挡 = 扌+ 当 (hand + appropriate — to block)

Meaning

To block; to obstruct; to stop. Refers to preventing someone or something from advancing or proceeding.

Used both physically (blocking a path, stopping a vehicle) and figuratively (obstructing progress, resisting a trend). Stronger than 阻拦 in emphasising a solid physical or structural barrier. Common in formal writing and news reports.

Examples

1. 洪水袭来时，堤坝有效地阻挡了洪峰，保护了下游村庄。 When the flood struck, the levee effectively blocked the flood peak and protected downstream villages.
2. 任何阻挡历史进步的力量，终将被时代的洪流所淹没。 Any force that tries to block the progress of history will ultimately be swept away by the tide of the times.
3. 警方在高速公路出口设置路障，阻挡嫌疑车辆逃离现场。 Police set up a roadblock at the highway exit to stop the suspect vehicle from fleeing the scene.

Usage Guide

Context: military, infrastructure, politics, news

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这道防火墙的作用是阻挡外部网络攻击，确保企业数据安全。(The purpose of this firewall is to block external network attacks and ensure corporate data security.)
• 山脉的走向在一定程度上阻挡了来自北方的冷空气，使该地区气候相对温和。(The orientation of the mountain range partly blocks cold air from the north, giving the region a relatively mild climate.)

Don't Say

• 阻挡他讲话 — for interpersonal interruption or dissuasion use 阻止 or 打断; 阻挡 implies a more forceful physical or structural barrier, not a conversational intervention

Origin & History

阻 (obstruct/hinder) + 挡 (block/shield)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal