严防 (yán fáng) — to strictly guard against; to take strict precautions against

Definition

A formal, written term meaning 'strictly guard against / take strict precautions against' — stronger and more official than everyday 防. Often used in notices, news, and safety/infectious-disease contexts.

verb
to strictly guard againstto take strict precautions against

Examples

  • 严防,。
    Wǒ men bì xū yán fáng shì gù, què bǎo ān quán.
    We must strictly guard against accidents to ensure safety.
  • 严防。
    Jǐng fāng zhèng zài yán fáng fàn zuì huó dòng.
    The police are strictly guarding against criminal activities.
  • ,严防。
    Zài yì qíng qī jiān, wǒ men yào yán fáng bìng dú chuán bō.
    During the epidemic, we need to strictly guard against the spread of the virus.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

严yánstrict

The parts 严 and 防 combine to mean guard strictly.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 嚴; 严 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
喦喦yántalkative
Sound part声符shēngfú
敢
敢gǎn嚴yán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 嚴 combines 喦 (talkative) and 敢 (daring); the simplified 严 is a later shorthand.

Open 严 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng防fáng
Same sound today

防 pairs 阝 (written fully as 阜) with 方, which gives the sound.

Open 防 →

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