Japanese symbol for “obstruct”
阻む
はばむ
Romaji: habamu
to keep someone from doing; to stop; to prevent; to check
In Japanese, obstruct is 阻む, read はばむ (habamu).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v5m, vt to keep someone from doing; to stop; to prevent; to check; to hinder; to obstruct
Written forms: 阻む、沮む. Readings: はばむ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “obstruct”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 妨げる | さまたげる samatageru | to disturb; to prevent; to obstruct |
| 遮る | さえぎる saegiru | to interrupt; to obstruct (a view, someone's way, etc.); to block (light, wind, etc.) |
| 害する | がいする gaisuru | to hinder; to obstruct |
| 詰まらせる | つまらせる tsumaraseru | to clog; to block; to choke up |
| 立ちはだかる | たちはだかる tachihadakaru | to stand in the way (e.g. of progress); to obstruct |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 阻止 | そし soshi | obstruction; prevention; hindrance |
| 阻害 | そがい sogai | obstruction; impediment; hindrance |
| 悪阻 | つわり tsuwari | morning sickness; nausea and vomiting of pregnancy |
| 阻却 | そきゃく sokyaku | rejection |
See also: Chinese symbol for “obstruct”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.