隘 ài narrow
narrow; confined; a strategic pass
How to remember 隘: 阝 mound + 益 to profit = narrow. The tour bus squeezes between two grassy mounds, and the driver who hoped to profit from the shortcut finds the lane narrow.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
隘 = 阝 mound + 益 to profit
- 阝 mound meaning
- 益 to profit sound
The tour bus squeezes between two grassy mounds, and the driver who hoped to profit from the shortcut finds the lane narrow.
How it came to be
The mound gives the meaning and the right part the sound.
How it is used
- Narrow/cramped, chiefly figurative: 狭隘 (xiá'ài) narrow-minded; 心胸狭隘 (xīnxiōng xiá'ài) petty and narrow-hearted.
- Concretely a strategic mountain pass: 隘口 (àikǒu) a defile, 关隘 (guān'ài) a fortified pass.
- 狭隘 is the common word and it's about mentality, not just physical width; contrast open-minded 开阔.