隘

ài
#3,146 most
frequent character
(bound form) narrow, (bound form) a defile

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

隘 has ⻖, hills or land, as its meaning part, and 益 yì for sound. It first meant 'a valley between mountains,' then grew to 'strategic mountain pass' and 'narrow; confined.' The sound link with 益 is loose.

Ask DeepSeek

Homophones

HSK 1
爱ài
to love, affection, to be fond of
碍ài
to hinder, to obstruct, to block
艾ài
Chinese mugwort or wormwood, moxa

Your word lists

Sign in to add this word to your private lists.