无碍

無礙
wú'ài
adjective #33,624

Meanings

  1. 1 unhindered; unimpeded
  2. 2 of no consequence; harmless
  3. 3 (Buddhism) free of obstruction (e.g. 圆融无碍)

Examples

Zhè diǎn xiǎo shāng wú'ài, xiūxi yíxià jiù hǎo.
This little injury is no big deal — just rest a bit and you'll be fine.
Tāmen liǎ gǎnqíng hěn hǎo, wú'ài yú gōngzuò.
The two of them are close, but it doesn't interfere with work.

Tips

register
Slightly literary. Common phrases: 无碍大局 ("doesn't affect the overall situation"), 畅通无碍 ("flowing freely / unobstructed"), 无碍 ("completely harmonious without obstruction," Buddhist register).
history
In Buddhism (especially Huayan school), 无碍 describes the perfectly unobstructed interpenetration of all phenomena — 事事无碍 ("phenomenon and phenomenon do not obstruct each other"). The everyday "no problem" usage descends from this metaphysical sense.

Stroke Order

ài