obstacle; impediment; hindrance
Formal or literary term for something that blocks progress or makes a task difficult. Often used in abstract contexts like social barriers or bureaucratic obstacles.
Language barriers hinder international exchange.
He overcame many obstacles and succeeded.
Refers to an obstruction or inconvenience that interferes with a plan or activity, often used in practical contexts.
Standard modern spelling; 碍 is a simplified form of 礙.
Traditional kyūjitai spelling; still seen in older texts.
From Middle Chinese 障礙 (obstacle, hindrance). The kanji 障 means 'to block' and 礙/碍 means 'to obstruct'. The spelling 障碍 is now standard in modern Japanese.