故障
gùzhàng · HSK 6
malfunction
⚠️ 故 = old/cause + 障 = obstacle → an old obstacle = malfunction
故 means cause or old/former; 障 means barrier or obstacle. Together they describe a fault or breakdown — literally a cause-of-obstruction. Common in tech contexts: 故障 = something has gone wrong with a machine or system.
故 — 古 (old) + 攵 (action/strike)
故 combines 古 'old' as the phonetic with 攵, a variant of 攴 meaning to strike or act. Originally it referred to a cause or reason behind an action. From this it extended to mean 'former, old, deceased' and 'therefore, hence' as a connector.