barricade
Loading your saved state.
barricade
An improvised barrier built from various objects such as furniture, vehicles, or building materials in order to block a street or an entrance, often during protests or fighting.
Die Demonstranten errichteten eine Barrikade aus brennenden Reifen.
The demonstrators built a barricade out of burning tires.
barrier
In a figurative sense, an obstacle or hurdle that makes progress, communication, or reaching an agreement more difficult.
Zwischen den verfeindeten Parteien standen ideologische Barrikaden, die eine Zusammenarbeit unmöglich machten.
Ideological barriers stood between the hostile parties, making cooperation impossible.
The idiom 'auf die Barrikaden gehen' means to protest loudly and angrily or to campaign energetically for or against something. It is often used in a figurative sense.
Als die Firma die Schließung des Werks bekannt gab, gingen die Mitarbeiter auf die Barrikaden.
When the company announced the closure of the plant, the employees went up in arms.
The literal meaning can be recognized from words that describe physical objects or places (e.g., 'Straße' (street), 'Möbel' (furniture), 'blockieren' (to block)). The figurative meaning is used with abstract nouns such as 'Kommunikation' (communication), 'Verständigung' (understanding/agreement), or 'Ideologie' (ideology).
Die Polizei versuchte, die Barrikade aus Autowracks zu entfernen.
The police tried to remove the barricade made of car wrecks.
In the literal sense, a 'Barrikade' (barricade) is typically 'errichtet' (erected/built) or 'gebaut' (built). The opposite is to 'durchbrechen' (break through), 'räumen' (clear), or 'entfernen' (remove) a barricade.
In der Nacht errichteten die Aktivisten eine neue Barrikade.
During the night, the activists built a new barricade.
In the figurative sense, people often talk about 'Barrikaden abzubauen' (breaking down barriers) in order to overcome obstacles in communication or cooperation. Here too, one can metaphorically 'Barrikaden errichten' (put up barriers).
Der neue Chef versucht, die Barrikaden zwischen den Abteilungen abzubauen.
The new boss is trying to break down the barriers between the departments.
hurdle
Hürde refers to a relatively neutral difficulty that must be overcome on the way to reaching an agreement. Barrikade is more forceful in the figurative sense and emphasizes that someone or something significantly blocks progress.
Mit ihrer völligen Gesprächsverweigerung errichtet eine Seite eine Barrikade vor der Einigung.
By completely refusing to talk, one side is erecting a barricade in the way of reaching an agreement.
Vor der Einigung müssen beide Seiten noch eine finanzielle Hürde überwinden.
Before reaching an agreement, both sides still have to overcome a financial hurdle.
