防洪 (fáng hóng) — to prevent or control floods (verb-object compound)

Definition

A verb-object compound meaning 'to prevent/control floods' — a topic word covering both prevention and post-flood control. Used as a domain term in news, government, and infrastructure, not casual speech.

verb
to prevent or control floods (verb-object compound)

Examples

  • 防洪。
    Jīn nián xià tiān xū yào jiā qiáng fáng hóng.
    This summer we need to strengthen flood control.
  • 防洪。
    Zhè ge dì qū měi nián xià tiān dōu yào fáng hóng.
    This area does flood control every summer.
  • ，。
    Tā men fáng le yí cì hóng, sǔn shī shǎo le hěn duō.
    They prevented a flood once, and losses were greatly reduced.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

防fángprevent
洪hóngflood

“防” means prevent and “洪” means flood, so the word expresses flood control.

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.

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 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
共
共gòng洪hóng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

洪 is built from 水 (water) and 共 (gòng), with 共 giving the sound.

Open 洪 →

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