ngăn rào
Definition
Verb:
- To erect a barrier / to barricade: The primary meaning of "ngăn rào" is the act of physically blocking or closing off an area by putting up a fence, barrier, or barricade.
- To obstruct / to block: It can also mean to create an obstruction that prevents passage or access.
Verb (figurative):
- To hinder / to impede: Used metaphorically to describe creating obstacles or difficulties that stop someone from doing something or slow their progress.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Người dân ngăn rào lối vào ngôi làng. (The villagers barricaded the entrance to the village.)
- Công nhân ngăn rào khu vực nguy hiểm. (The workers fenced off the dangerous area.)
- Verb (figurative):
- Luật mới ngăn rào sự phát triển của doanh nghiệp nhỏ. (The new law hinders the development of small businesses.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in contexts involving physical security, construction, or protest. It implies a deliberate and often improvised act of blocking.
Variants and Related Words
- Ngăn cản (v): to prevent, to obstruct. This is a more general synonym.
- Không gì có thể ngăn cản ước mơ của cô ấy. (Nothing can prevent her dream.)
- Rào chắn (n): a barrier, a fence (the physical object).
- Rào chắn bằng thép rất kiên cố. (The steel barrier is very sturdy.)
Synonyms
- Barricade: to block or defend with a barrier.
- Obstruct: to block or get in the way of.
- Hinder: to create difficulties, resulting in delay or obstruction.
Related Idioms
- While "ngăn rào" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, the concept is related to expressions about obstruction.
- Dựng rào ngăn cách: to build a dividing barrier (both literal and figurative).
- Họ dựng rào ngăn cách giữa hai khu đất. (They built a dividing fence between the two plots of land.)