隘 (ài) - narrow & pass

隘Tone 4

ài ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

安

隘 · ài

narrow;

pass;

strategic point;

difficult situation;

hardship;

limited in outlook

narrowpassstrategic point

Usage highlights

narrow passnarrowstrategic passdifficult situationblock the passmountain pass

Synonyms

  • 窄— narrow (physical width)
  • 狭— narrow, confined
  • 险— dangerous pass or defile

Antonyms

  • 宽— wide, broad
  • 广— extensive, vast
  • 阔— spacious, open

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The mountain pass is very narrow (关隘狭窄).
  • He has a narrow perspective (他心胸狭隘).
  • We faced financial difficulties (我们面临财政窘隘).
  • This is a strategic military location (这是军事要隘).

Collocations

  • narrow pass(关隘)
  • narrow-minded(狭隘)
  • strategic pass(要隘)
  • difficult situation(窘隘)
  • block the pass(阻隘)
  • mountain pass(山隘)

Idioms

  • Narrow and obstructed, difficult to pass(隘塞难行)
  • Block the narrow pass to defend(阻隘守险)
  • Narrow-minded and short-sighted(狭隘短视)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used to describe narrow mountain passes that were strategically important for military defense.
  • In Chinese philosophy, '隘' metaphorically describes narrow-mindedness or limited perspective.
  • The character appears in classical military texts describing terrain advantages and defensive positions.

FAQ