防御 (fáng yù) — to defend; to protect against attack | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Defense-focused: actively warding off attack or threat. 防守 is the sports/play equivalent; 防 alone is broader 'prevent/guard against'.

verb

to defendto protect against attack

Examples

防御。
Jūn duì zhèng zài fáng yù biān jìng.
The army is defending the border.
防御。
Zhè zhǒng yì miáo néng fáng yù duō zhǒng bìng dú.
This vaccine can defend against multiple viruses.
防御。
Tā men cǎi yòng xīn zhàn shù fáng yù duì fāng jìn gōng.
They used new tactics to defend against the opponent's attack.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

御yùresist

防 and 御 both mean guard and resist, so together they defend.

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.

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.

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

卩卩jiékneeling person

Sound part声符shēngfú

午

午wǔ御yù

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

The form combines 午 and 卩, a kneeling person; walking signs add action, and the whole form means govern.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Military & Defense 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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