阂

閡

hé

亥 + 门

Definitions

hé obstruct

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 门 represents the meaning and 亥 represents the sound. Simplified form of 閡.

Semantic: 门 Phonetic: 亥

About

阂, the simplified form of 閡, is a phono-semantic compound: 门 (door) provides the semantic category, while 亥 supplies the pronunciation. The traditional character places the door radical around the phonetic 亥, a structure mirrored in the simplified version with 门 outside and 亥 inside. The character means obstruction or barrier, drawing on the image of a shut door blocking a passage. It is used for both physical and metaphorical barriers, but most often appears in compounds conveying estrangement, misunderstandings, or emotional distance. In these contexts, it represents a psychological block that prevents clear communication or intimacy, mapping the architectural notion of a dividing door onto interpersonal relationships.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

沟通不足产生隔阂。

Gōutōng bùzú chǎnshēng géhé.

Insufficient communication creates barriers.

文化差异可能引发隔阂。

Wénhuà chāyì kěnéng yǐnfā géhé.

Cultural differences may lead to barriers.

如果我们不交流，隔阂就会加深。

Rúguǒ wǒmen bù jiāoliú, géhé jiù huì jiāshēn.

If we don't communicate, the barrier will deepen.

长期误解导致了严重的隔阂。

Chángqī wùjiě dǎozhìle yánzhòng de géhé.

Long-term misunderstandings have led to serious estrangement.

心与心之间的隔阂最难消除。

Xīn yǔ xīn zhī jiān de géhé zuì nán xiāochú.

The barrier between hearts is the hardest to remove.

由于缺乏信任，他们之间的隔阂越来越大。

Yóuyú quēfá xìnrèn, tāmen zhī jiān de géhé yuè lái yuè dà.

Due to lack of trust, the barrier between them is growing larger.

尽管双方都努力沟通，但多年的隔阂并非一朝一夕能化解。

Jǐnguǎn shuāngfāng dōu nǔlì gōutōng, dàn duōnián de géhé bìng fēi yīzhāoyīxī néng huàjiě.

Although both sides are trying to communicate, the years of estrangement cannot be resolved overnight.

若要打破这种根深蒂固的隔阂，必须从改变观念入手。

Ruò yào dǎpò zhè zhǒng gēnshēndìgù de géhé, bìxū cóng gǎibiàn guānniàn rùshǒu.

To break this deeply rooted barrier, we must start by changing perceptions.

Related Characters

Component: 亥

Component: 门

阂