挡 (dǎng) is a Chinese character meaning “to block”. It is written from 扌 (hand (radical form)) and 当 (to serve as; just at (a time); (here) sound component dāng), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to block”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
扌 + 当
Left–right structure
- 扌 hand (radical form) · shǒu meaning
- 当 to serve as; just at (a time); (here) sound component dāng · dāng sound
Structure from: 现代字形 IDS 拆分 ⿰扌当，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「扌」三画，笔画 3–8 与「当」逐笔对应（3+6=9画）
Memory aid
A hand (扌) goes up just when (当) something comes flying at you — that is how you block it.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 挡住dǎng zhùto block; to hold back挡 = dǎng
- 阻挡zǔ dǎngto obstruct; to stop挡 = dǎngspoken aszú dǎng
Go deeper
All readings
to block
to block; to keep off; to obstruct; to shelter (from sun, wind or rain)
拦住，使不能通过；也指遮蔽风、雨、阳光。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 挡住dǎng zhùto block; to hold back挡 = dǎng
- 阻挡zǔ dǎngto obstruct; to stop挡 = dǎngspoken aszú dǎng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 挡 mean?
挡 (dǎng) means to block; to keep off; to obstruct; to shelter (from sun, wind or rain).
How do you pronounce 挡?
It is pronounced dǎng.
What parts is 挡 made of?
扌 (hand (radical form)) and 当 (to serve as; just at (a time); (here) sound component dāng), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形 IDS 拆分 ⿰扌当，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「扌」三画，笔画 3–8 与「当」逐笔对应（3+6=9画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 挡 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 挡?
扌. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 挡?
Common ones are 挡住 and 阻挡. The reading of 挡 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.