阻挠

• Pinyin: zǔ náo
• Hanzi breakdown: 阻 = 阝+ 且 (terrain obstacle); 挠 = 扌+ 尧 (hand + high — to scratch/disturb)

Meaning

To obstruct; to impede; to sabotage. Deliberately interfering with someone's plans or activities, often for self-interested reasons.

Stronger than 阻拦, implying deliberate and often repeated interference, sometimes underhanded. Frequently used in political, legal, and journalistic contexts to criticise obstructive behaviour by governments, organisations, or individuals.

Examples

1. 部分国家的单边主义行为严重阻挠了国际多边合作机制的正常运转。 Some countries’ unilateral actions have seriously obstructed the normal functioning of international multilateral cooperation mechanisms.
2. 调查人员指出，有人故意销毁证据，试图阻挠司法调查的进行。 Investigators noted that someone deliberately destroyed evidence in an attempt to obstruct the judicial investigation.
3. 尽管竞争对手屡屡从中阻挠，这家初创公司依然成功完成了融资并进入市场。 Even though competitors repeatedly tried to sabotage them, the startup still secured funding and entered the market successfully.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, law, journalism, business

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 任何企图阻挠和平谈判进程的行为，都将受到国际社会的强烈谴责。(Any action that attempts to obstruct the peace negotiation process will face strong condemnation from the international community.)
• 该企业高管被指控阻挠内部审计，涉嫌故意隐瞒财务数据。(The senior executive of the company was accused of obstructing an internal audit and allegedly concealing financial data deliberately.)

Don't Say

• 阻挠我去超市 — using 阻挠 for trivial personal inconveniences sounds pompous; use 拦着我 or 不让我去; 阻挠 implies deliberate and significant obstruction

Origin & History

阻 (obstruct) + 挠 (disturb/scratch — impede)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal