HanziGuru.拦 · lán
拦
lán[lan2]Tone 2

to block

HSK 7
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攔
Guru Deep Dive

English · to block

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Left-right
Strokes:9
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (扌) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the right component (兰) two-thirds of the space, perfectly balanced horizontally.
Simplification Logic: Simplified from 攔 by replacing the right side's traditional component component while keeping the standard hand radical on the left.
1. Meaning

to block sb's path or obstruct

to flag down a taxito intercept
VerbNeutral#action#movement#interaction
Sample Usage
  • 快把门拦住！
    kuài bǎ mén lán zhù!
    Quickly block the door!
  • 路被大树拦住了。
    lù bèi dà shù lán zhù le.
    The road was blocked by a large tree.
2. Sound
/[lan³⁵]/Tone: 35
拦
lánlan2
++
´(35)
=lán
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
lan
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "a" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
l
Type: Alveolar Lateral
Sounds like: l sound as in 'lamp'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Air flows freely around both sides of tongue.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip touches the alveolar ridge behind upper front teeth.
Final Rhyme
an
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: an rhymes with 'con' without the c or 'father' ending in n
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahn'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises from middle to high pitch, matching an inquiring or questioning intonation in English.
Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 2, it shifts slightly to a higher rising contour before the next syllable.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse with lǎn (Tone 3) or làn (Tone 4). Make sure the pitch goes straight up from mid to high.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 2 rises upward like asking a surprised question: 'What?' or 'Really?'. Move your hand diagonally up from left to right.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 9 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (扌) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the right component (兰) two-thirds of the space, perfectly balanced horizontally.

Simplification Logic: Simplified from 攔 by replacing the right side's traditional component component while keeping the standard hand radical on the left.

4. Components

Radical 扌 · Hand Radical (Hand action or manual manipulation)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 扌 (Indicates that the action involves using the hand or arm to block or stop.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 兰 (original sound: lán)

A hand (扌) reaches out near an orchid plant (兰) to stop someone from walking through the garden path.

  • 扌 Hand radical (action)
  • 兰 Orchid/phonetic component providing the sound 'lán'
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the hand radical (扌) representing physical obstruction and the phonetic element (兰) to give the sound lán.

Semantic Evolution: Originally denoting using hands to restrain or hold back, it expanded to mean blocking paths, obstructing movement, and hailing taxis.

  • The character bridges physical restraint with general obstruction.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
lan
Similar to Vietnamese ngang or sắc depending on historical readings, but here corresponds to rising tone.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ラン / Kun: さえぎ.る
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
란
Sound Shift Bridge: The initial 'l' and final 'an' remain stable across cognate equivalents.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

You use your HAND (扌) to block an orchid thief (兰) who is trying to run away with your prized flowers.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
兰
lánorchidPhonetic Core (声旁)
烂
lànrotten, soft, mushy, messy+ 火 (fire)
栏
lánfence, railing, hurdle, column+ 木 (tree)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
栏(lán)
栏 uses wood (木) for fences; 拦 uses hand (扌) for blocking.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
请不要把去路[___]住。
Clue: lán
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the hand radical (扌) with the wood radical (木) resulting in 栏 (railing).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 拦, what action does it describe?
Production: How do you write 'to block/flag down' (lán) with the hand radical?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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