About
The character 挡 (traditional 擋) is a phono-semantic compound. The left side, 扌 (hand radical), indicates an action performed with the hands or arms. The right side, 当 (dāng), is a phonetic component that also means "at the right time", lending the idea of a hand raised at the appropriate moment to block. In the traditional form, the phonetic was 黨, later simplified to 当. The fundamental meaning is to obstruct, block, or resist an incoming force, object, or movement, both physically and metaphorically. This core sense extends to specific applications: the mechanism of gears in machinery, and sheltering someone or something from wind and rain.
Example Sentences Hide
请挡住门口。
他用手挡太阳。
这棵树挡住了风景。
大雨挡不住我们前进。
她试图用伞挡住雨水。
前面的车挡住了我的视线。
尽管有困难，但挡不住他的热情。
这项政策旨在挡住外来竞争。
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