拦
lán · HSK 7
to block sb's path
✋🚕 扌 hand + 兰 (lán) phonetic: a hand thrown out to block the path or flag down a taxi
The 扌 hand radical carries the action — an arm flung up to obstruct someone or stop a cab. The right side 兰 lán only supplies the sound, matching lán exactly.
拦 — hand radical 扌 + 闌 lán (phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 signals an action done with the hands, while 闌 (lán, originally a railing or barrier across a gate) supplies the sound and reinforces the idea of blocking. Together 拦 means to block, obstruct, or hold back.