Definitions

lán (verb) to block; to obstruct
lán (verb) to flag down (a taxi)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "拦", with its traditional form "攔", is structurally composed of the hand radical (扌) on the left, indicating manual action, and a phonetic component on the right, which is "兰" in the simplified version and "闌" in the traditional one, primarily guiding its pronunciation. Etymologically, it derives from the concept of using the hand to obstruct or impede, with its earliest meanings centered on physical blocking or hindering. Over time, its application broadened to encompass more abstract notions such as intercepting, preventing, or cutting off actions, though the fundamental idea of obstruction remains central. The transition from the traditional "攔" to the simplified "拦" involved a reduction of the phonetic element from "闌" to "兰", streamlining the character while retaining its phonetic association and core semantic function.

Example Sentences Hide

着门。

Bié lán zhe mén.

Don't block the door.

住了那个奔跑的孩子。

Tā lán zhùle nàgè bēnpǎo de háizi.

He stopped the running child.

警察下了一辆超速的汽车。

Jǐngchá lán xiàle yī liàng chāosù de qìchē.

The police stopped a speeding car.

这条河住了我们前进的路。

Zhè tiáo hé lán zhùle wǒmen qiánjìn de lù.

This river blocked our way forward.

任何困难都不住我们。

Rènhé kùnnán dōu lán bù zhù wǒmen.

No difficulty can stop us.

球迷们试图住球星要签名。

Qiúménmen shìtú lán zhù qiúxīng yào qiānmíng.

The fans tried to stop the star player to get an autograph.

系统会自动截垃圾邮件。

Xìtǒng huì zìdòng lánjié lājī yóujiàn.

The system automatically intercepts spam emails.

大坝成功蓄了汛期的洪水。

Dàbà chénggōng lán xùle xùnqī de hóngshuǐ.

The dam successfully impounded the floodwaters during the rainy season.