How to Write 遏 (è) — Meaning “To stop / To check”

Picture a person walking (辶) who suddenly sees a big red stop sign shaped like the top part of 曷 (which resembles a mouth saying "eh!"). The sound "è" is like saying "eh!" to order someone to stop. This helps link the shape and meaning.

Write the inner component 曷 first, starting with 曰 (four strokes), then add the inner parts, making it narrow and tall. Finally, add the radical 辶 as three strokes: dot, left-turning stroke, and a long sweeping stroke that supports the left and bottom of the whole character. A common mistake is making the 辶 too large or too small relative to the 曷.

遏 means "to stop" or "to check," while 逋 (bū) means "to flee" or "to escape"—the opposite action. 逍 (xiāo) appears in 逍遥 (xiāoyáo, meaning "carefree") and suggests moving freely rather than stopping. Visually, 逋 contains 甫, 逍 contains 肖, and 遏 contains 曷, each giving a different phonetic and semantic clue.

遏 is used in formal or written Chinese, often in news reports and idioms. Common words include 遏制 (èzhì, "to contain") and 遏止 (èzhǐ, "to put an end to"), as in 遏制通货膨胀 (to contain inflation). The idiom 怒不可遏 (nù bù kě è) describes being so angry that one cannot suppress it, and is used in literature and media.

Common words containing 遏 include: 遏止 (è zhǐ) — To stop / To put an end to; 遏制 (è zhì) — To contain / To restrain; 怒不可遏 (nù bù kě è) — uncontrollable rage; boiling with anger.