设防 (shè fáng) — to set up defenses, to fortify | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'set up defenses', used for both physical fortifications and figurative mental guardedness. A formal, written term rather than everyday 防御 (defense) or 防守 (to defend in sport/game).

verb

to set up defensesto fortify

Examples

设防。
Zhè ge chéng shì zài biān jìng shàng shè fáng le.
This city has set up defenses on the border.
。
Tā men yǐ jīng zài hé biān shè hǎo le fáng.
They have already finished setting up defenses by the river.
，设防。
Miàn duì pī píng, tā nèi xīn bú shè fáng.
Facing criticism, he doesn't set up defenses in his heart.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

防fángdefense

设 means to set up, and 防 means defense, so to set up defenses.

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 設; 设 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

埶

埶yì設shè

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 設 uses 言 (speech) to show the meaning and 埶 to give the sound; this explanation is for 設, not the simplified 设.

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

阝方防

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.

Appears in

Military & Defense

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