妨害
fánghài · HSK 7
to jeopardize; to be harmful to
🚧 FANG-hai! A fang-like barrier that harms your path forward
妨 (obstruct) + 害 (harm): something that both blocks and damages. Think of fangs barring a doorway — the word covers any hindrance from legal bars to physical impediments.
害 — 宀 roof + 丯 (phonetic) + 口 mouth
Originally an ideograph showing harm spoken under a roof, with 宀 (roof/house) on top, a phonetic element 丯 in the middle, and 口 (mouth) below suggesting harmful speech. Over time it shifted from 'injury caused by words' to the broader senses of 'harm,' 'injure,' and 'fear.'