How to Write 阏 (è) — Meaning “to block; to stop”

Imagine a door (门) with a large '於' wedged into it, like a barrier that stops anyone from passing through. This visual of a blocked gate helps you recall that 阏 means 'to block' or 'to obstruct.'

Write the outer radical 门 first (dot, vertical stroke, horizontal hook), then the inner component 於. A common mistake is to write the inside as the simple '于' (three strokes), but 於 has eight strokes including a square-like part (方) and a person radical (人). Pay attention to the extra strokes to avoid errors.

Visually, the inner component differs: 阏 has 於, 闺 has 圭 (jade), and 闻 has 耳 (ear). Meaning-wise, 阏 means 'to block,' 闺 refers to a lady's private room, and 闻 means 'to hear.' This makes them easy to tell apart once you notice the inner part.

阏 is very rare in modern Chinese and appears mostly in historical texts. The word 阏氏 (è shì) refers to the wife of a Xiongnu chieftain, an ancient title. As it is not in the HSK list, beginner learners are unlikely to encounter it in daily conversation.

Common words containing 阏 include: 阏氏 (è shì) — Yanshi (title of the wife of a Xiongnu chieftain); 阏塞 (è sāi) — to block up; to obstruct; 阏绝 (è jué) — to cut off; to block.