隘 meaning and stroke order
Narrow, confined; a strategic pass
How to write 隘, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 隘
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) narrow
- (bound form) a defile; a narrow pass
How 隘 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hill.
阝 gives the meaning and 益 hints at the sound.
Radical: 阝 (place), shared by 160 characters on this site.
How to remember 隘
The left side 阝 means hill, and 益 (yì) gives the sound. Picture a path squeezed between hills, so tight it feels like a narrow mountain pass.
隘 is a bound form, so it appears inside words rather than alone. The most common word is 狭隘 (xiá'ài), used for narrow paths, cramped spaces, and also narrow-minded thinking. Example: 他的眼光太狭隘了。(Tā de yǎnguāng tài xiá'ài le.) His outlook is too narrow.
Common mistake: Learners often read 隘 as yì because of the phonetic 益, but the correct reading is ài with a fourth tone. Also, do not confuse it with 溢 (yì, to overflow), which has the water radical 氵 instead of 阝.
Common words with 隘
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 狭隘 | xiá'ài | (of a path etc) narrow; (of a living space etc) cramped | HSK 7-9 |
隘 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 隘
How many strokes are in 隘?
隘 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 隘 mean?
隘 (ài) means narrow, confined; a strategic pass. A common word with it is 狭隘 (xiá'ài), meaning "(of a path etc) narrow; (of a living space etc) cramped".
How do you pronounce 隘?
隘 is pronounced ài, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 隘?
The radical of 隘 is 阝, which carries the idea of "place". Dictionaries list 隘 under this radical.
Is 隘 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 隘 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 关隘 mean?
关隘 (guān'ài) means a strategic mountain pass, often one that was guarded in history. It uses the sense of 隘 as a narrow pass.
Can 狭隘 describe a person?
Yes. 狭隘 often describes a narrow mind or a petty attitude, as in 心胸狭隘 (xīnxiōng xiá'ài), meaning narrow-minded. It carries a negative tone when used this way.