阻 (zǔ) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

阻

zǔ[zu3]Tone 3

to hinder

HSK 4

Guru Deep Dive

English · to hinder

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:7

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left radical (阝/阠 component) slightly narrower and taller, leaving ample open space for the right component (旦) so the character does not look lopsided.

1. Meaning

to hinder, block, or obstruct

to preventto stop progress

VerbFormalBound morpheme#obstruction#action#movement control

Sample Usage

阻碍
zǔ ài
to hinder / to obstruct / hindrance
阻止
zǔ zhǐ
to prevent / to block

2. Sound

/[tsu²¹⁴]/Tone: 214

阻

zǔzu3

ˇ(214)

=zǔ

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Dental Sibilant

Sounds like: ts sound as in 'cats'

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff (sounds like 'ds' in English 'cards'). Tissue still.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip lightly touching the back of the upper front teeth to form a closed gate, releasing with friction.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -u vowel group

Sounds like: oo sound as in 'boot'

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T3 (214)

2 → 1 → 4 (214)

3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 starts mid, dips low into the throat, and rises back up, resembling an incredulous English 'Really?'

Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, this character shifts to a 2nd tone (35 contour).

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse the unaspirated 'z' [ts] with the aspirated 'c' [tsʰ], nor with the retroflex 'zh' [ʈʂ].

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Trace a checkmark in the air: start medium-high, dip sharply down to your lowest chest resonance, and sweep up to mid-high.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 7 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left radical (阝/阠 component) slightly narrower and taller, leaving ample open space for the right component (旦) so the character does not look lopsided.

4. Components

Radical 阝 · mound radical (mound, dam, earthwork, place)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 阝 (Indicates a geographical feature, barrier, or earth mound acting as an obstruction.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 且 (original sound: tsio, zu)

An earth mound (阝) combined with a structure or support frame (且) creates a physical barrier that stops movement.

阝 mound or barrier
且 phonetic clue and stacking support

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

24· Phonetic Root: 且 (qiě)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally formed with the mound/wall radical (阝) to signify geographical obstructions, fortifications, or steep cliffs that block travelers.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from physical earth barriers and walls to a general verb for hindering, blocking, or obstructing any process or action.

Ancient mountain passes and defensive earth mounds were vital strategic blockades in Chinese history.

6. Sinosphere

🇻🇳

Sino-Vietnamese

trở

corresponds to the rising/dipping register in Vietnamese

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: ソ (so) / Kun: はばむ (habamu)

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

조

Sound Shift Bridge: The initial 'z-' bridges to Sino-Xenic 's-' or 't-' / 'ch-' correspondences in neighboring languages.

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

An earthen mound (阝) piled up like stacked shelves (且) right across the road, completely blocking and hindering your journey.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

组

zǔgroup, team, cordReplaced the mound radical with the silk thread radical (纟), turning a physical blockade into woven threads or groups.

祖

zǔancestorReplaced the mound radical with the spirit/altar radical (礻), connecting the ancestral line.

租

zūto rent, leaseReplaced the mound radical with the grain radical (禾), denoting land tax or agricultural rent.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

组(zǔ)

阻 uses the mound radical (阝) for blocking; 组 uses the silk thread radical (纟) for groups and cords.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

我们必须想办法[___]这个危险的计划。

Clue: zǔ zhǐ

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the left component 阝 (mound) with 阝 when it appears on the right (city/village), leading to misidentifying its semantic field.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 阻 mean when you encounter it in words like 阻止 or 阻碍?

Production: How do you write the character meaning 'to hinder' or 'to block' (zǔ) with 7 strokes?

阻zǔto hinder

Speed:

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