遮

A phono-semantic compound composed of:

辵 (to move; to go) — semantic component, indicates movement, paths, or something encountered along the way;

庶 (many; various) — phonetic component, supplies the sound "cha" and contributes the idea of something spread out or layered.

Together, the structure conveys something placed across one’s path, blocking movement or view—hence “to cover” or “to obstruct.”

Meanings expanded from physical to abstract:

- physical blocking — stopping light, wind, rain, or passage;

- covering / shielding — protecting by screening;

- concealment — hiding facts, emotions, or truth;

- figurative obstruction — preventing access, influence, or perception.

Throughout, the core idea remains interposition.

The character is productive in technical vocabulary (optics, engineering, architecture).

Figurative uses often imply intentional concealment.

Physical:

차광 (遮光) — shading; light-blocking

차풍 (遮風) — windbreak

차양 (遮陽) — sunshade

Abstract / figurative:

차폐 (遮蔽) — concealment; shielding

차단 (遮斷) — blocking; cutoff

차리다 (遮) — to hide; to cover up (literary)

遮 emphasizes blocking by interposition, not destruction.

Іt focuses on covering or screening, rather than stopping outright.

Often contrasted with:

擋 — to block by resisting force

防 — to prevent proactively

Related characters:

擋 — block; resist

防 — prevent; guard

蔽 — cover; conceal

掩 — cover up

隱 — hide

Among these, 遮 most strongly conveys screening by placing something in front, rather than sealing or hiding completely.

Cultural & regional notes:

In Cantonese, 遮 is used to mean “umbrella.”

This arose because 傘 (umbrella) is near-homophonous with 散 (“to scatter”), which is considered inauspicious.

As a result, 遮 — “that which blocks (rain)” — was adopted as a euphemistic replacement.

This is a clear example of phonological taboo influencing vocabulary choice.

Classical / literary usage:

遮風避雨 — “To shield from wind and rain”

雲遮月 — “Clouds veil the moon”