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Is there a way to combine 阻む with other verbs?

matt9210

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12 Aug 2014
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I'm just wondering if there's a set rule? For example, if I wanted to say:
"The robbers stopped us from leaving the bank".
"The rain stopped us from going to the park"
"A large boulder prevented us from carrying on up the path"
"The loud noises from outside prevented us from doing our homework"

I'd guess it's either verb stem + 阻む, or て form + 阻む? But I'd just like to double check :)

*EDIT* Is this also identical in meaning to 阻止する?
 
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The rule is: stop thinking in English.

Stop is a pretty versatile word. I don't think 阻む has the same versatility. Each of those sentences will require a different "stop" or "prevent" or "obstruct". Some might need a general re-think in order to make them sound natural in Japanese.
 
Could you explain a little more please? If none of those sentences don't use 阻む, I'm not sure which words I'd use instead. I know there's 止める and 止む, but I don't know if they'd be used as I don't think they get the meaning of 'prevention' across?
 
While there is a subtle difference between stop, prevent, and hinder (which I think is the usual translation for 阻む), the subtle difference may actually be a difference without a distinction. Did the robbers just hinder your exit, or did they physically stop you from leaving? If they stopped you from leaving, 止める works fine. (You could conceivably construe a sentence with 阻止, but I think 止める, would be a better choice).
Same for the rain sentence. We wouldn't normally say the rain obstructed us from going to the park. We might conceivably say the rain hindered us from going to the park, but it does sound a bit like you made it to the park despite the rain. I think normally one would say, "The rain stopped us from going" or possibly, "We couldn't go because of the rain". It would be odd to say in Japanese, "雨が公園へ行くのを阻止した". Maybe understandable, but not natural, I think. Normally one would just say, "雨のせいで(悪天候で)公園へ行けなくなった" or some variation on that.
 
Thanks for the detailed reply! It's becoming clearer :)
So if I take something to be a physical "obstruction" as a more accurate translation, how would I convey this with verbs?
So using my boulder sentence above, saying that it "stopped us from carrying on"? I know I could just say it "stopped us", but I'd like to say from doing what.
Another example, "The protesters prevented us from driving through the city centre". As in, the protesters haven't actually made you/told you to stop, but as a result of the crowds, cars cannot get through. Again, I suppose the のせいで structure could be used, but I'm just trying to get a better feel of this verb. Thanks!
 
Yeah, I agree with Majestic-san. Similarly, I would say 外の騒音のせいで宿題ができなかった。 for #4.
Another choice for #1 is to use negative causative 出ていかせなかった since the robbers had their intention to do so.
The reason 雨が公園へ行くのを阻止した sounds odd is the same. The rain doesn't have intention.
巨石が行く手を阻んだ/阻んでいた for #3 is an exception, because 行く手を阻む works as a set phrase. Your last example is as well.
 
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