Definition

1. Noun:

   • Hindrance: Something that causes delay or difficulty, making a process slower or less efficient.
   • Obstacle: A physical or non-physical thing that blocks one's path or prevents progress.
   • Obstruction: An act or instance of blocking or impeding movement or action.

2. Verb (less common):

   • To hinder: To create difficulties for someone or something, resulting in delay or obstruction.
   • To obstruct: To block or get in the way of an action or process.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • Thiếu vốn là một trở ngại lớn cho dự án. (Lack of capital is a major obstacle for the project.)
  • Xe hỏng chính giữa đường tạo ra trở ngại giao thông. (A broken-down car in the middle of the road creates a traffic obstruction.)
  • Cô ấy vượt qua mọi trở ngại để thành công. (She overcame every hindrance to succeed.)

• Verb:

  • Đám đông trở ngại lối đi vào tòa nhà. (The crowd obstructed the entrance to the building.)
  • Quy định mới có thể trở ngại tiến độ. (The new regulations could hinder the progress.)

Advanced Usage

• "vật trở ngại": A physical obstacle or impediment.

  • Đường đua có nhiều vật trở ngại. (The race track has many physical obstacles.)

• "trở ngại tâm lý": A psychological barrier or mental block.

  • Cậu ấy cần vượt qua trở ngại tâm lý về nói trước công chúng. (He needs to overcome his psychological barrier about public speaking.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cản trở (v/n): to obstruct / obstruction. Often used interchangeably with trở ngại as a verb, but more commonly as a verb.

  • Thời tiết xấu cản trở chuyến bay. (Bad weather obstructed the flight.)

• Khó khăn (n): difficulty, hardship. Refers more to general challenges rather than a specific blocking agent.

  • Họ gặp nhiều khó khăn về tài chính. (They face many financial difficulties.)

Synonyms

• Noun: Obstacle, hindrance, impediment, barrier, hurdle, blockage.
• Verb: To hinder, to obstruct, to impede, to hamper.

Related Idioms

• "Vượt qua trở ngại": To overcome an obstacle.

  • Tinh thần kiên cường giúp họ vượt qua trở ngại. (A resilient spirit helps them overcome obstacles.)

• "Gây trở ngại": To cause an obstruction or to pose a hindrance.

  • Việc thiếu thông tin gây trở ngại cho quá trình điều tra. (The lack of information poses a hindrance to the investigation process.)

noun

1. hindrance, obstacle, obstruction

verb

1. to hinder, to obstruct