隘

ài

益 + 阝

Definitions

ài (bound form) narrow; (bound form) a defile; a narrow pass

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 阝 represents the meaning and 益 represents the sound.

Semantic: 阝 Phonetic: 益

About

The character 隘 is a phono-semantic compound: its left radical 阝, meaning 'hill' or 'mound', signals the semantic domain of terrain, while the right component 益 gives the sound. It denotes a narrow, confining mountain pass or gorge, a dangerous geographical bottleneck that severely restricts movement. This physical narrowness extends directly to the psychological realm, describing a person who is narrow-minded, intolerant, and unable to accept differing viewpoints. The rugged landscape association perfectly captures both tangible barriers in nature and the intangible barriers of a closed mind.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这条山路很狭隘。

Zhè tiáo shānlù hěn xiá'ài.

This mountain road is very narrow.

军队通过了那个隘口。

Jūnduì tōngguòle nàge àikǒu.

The army passed through that pass.

他的观点太狭隘了。

Tā de guāndiǎn tài xiá'àile.

His viewpoint is too narrow-minded.

古代的关隘易守难攻。

Gǔdài de guān'ài yì shǒu nán gōng.

Ancient mountain passes are easy to defend but hard to attack.

由于地形狭隘，车辆行驶缓慢。

Yóuyú dìxíng xiá'ài, chēliàng xíngshǐ huǎnmàn.

Due to the narrow terrain, vehicles move slowly.

狭隘的民族主义不利于国际合作。

Xiá'ài de mínzú zhǔyì bù lìyú guójì hézuò.

Narrow nationalism is not conducive to international cooperation.

在战略上，那个隘口是兵家必争之地。

Zài zhànlüè shàng, nàge àikǒu shì bīngjiā bì zhēng zhī dì.

Strategically, that pass is a place that military strategists must contend for.

尽管资源匮乏，但他们并未因环境的狭隘而限制思维的广阔。

Jǐnguǎn zīyuán kuìfá, dàn tāmen bìng wèi yīn huánjìng de xiá'ài ér xiànzhì sīwéi de guǎngkuò.

Despite scarce resources, they did not limit the breadth of their thinking due to the narrowness of the environment.

Related Characters

Component: 益

Component: 阝

隘