ài
verb #7,161

Meanings

  1. 1 to hinder
  2. 2 to obstruct

Examples

HSK 2
Qǐng búyào ài shì.
Don't block the way.
HSK 2
Tā de líkāi búhuì ài wǒmen de jìhuà.
His leaving won't affect our plans.
HSK 7-9
Nàkē dàshù ài le shìxiàn.
The big tree blocks the view.

Tips

usage
rarely stands alone; it usually appears in compounds: 障碍 (obstacle), 妨碍 (to hinder), 碍事 (to be in the way), 碍眼 (to be an eyesore).

Components

radical
shí
stone
Indexing stone radical on the left - a stone blocking the path is the canonical image of obstruction. Anchors in the stone family alongside (build with stones), (crush), (brick). Without it the right side wouldn't carry the obstruction sense.
phonetic
ài
to obtain (archaic, here phonetic)
Right side supplies the sound exactly: ài. Originally a hand reaching out for an object - the same root that became (get). Pictures someone grasping in front of them; pair it with the stone radical and you get a stone blocking the reach = obstacle.

Stroke Order

ài