阻止
zǔzhǐ · HSK 4
prevent
🛑 阻 = block + 止 = stop; together: block-and-stop = prevent
阻 (zǔ) means hinder or block, and 止 (zhǐ) means halt or stop. Stacking the two intensifies the idea: actively obstruct so motion ceases. Common in 阻止他 = stop him, or 阻止战争 = prevent war.
止 — pictograph of a foot/toe
止 originally depicted a human foot with toes, shown as a footprint on the ground. From this concrete image of a foot it came to mean 'to stop' or 'halt' — the place where a step ends. It also serves as a component in many characters relating to feet, walking, or stopping, such as 步 and 正.