防 (fáng) — to prevent; to guard against; to protect against
Definition
防 (fáng) is a short, focused verb meaning 'guard against / prevent' — narrower than 保护 ('protect', which includes actively keeping safe). Pairs naturally with 止 to form 防止; 阻止 is stronger, used when you actively stop something in progress.
verb
to preventto guard againstto protect against
Easily confused
Examples
- 防。Duō hē shuǐ kě yǐ fáng gǎn mào.Drinking more water can help prevent colds.
- 防。Zū fáng shí yào zhù yì fáng piàn.When renting a house, be careful to guard against scams.
- 。Zuò fàn shí yào xiǎo xīn fáng huǒ.When cooking, be careful to prevent fire.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
防 pairs 阝 (written fully as 阜) with 方, which gives the sound.
Appears in
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