TongTong
Sign in

预防针 (yù fáng zhēn) — (literal) vaccination, immunization injection; (figurative) advance warning, preventive reminder (often in 打预防针)

Definition

Literally 'preventive shot', used for both vaccinations and the figurative sense of an advance warning — as in 打预防针 ('give someone a heads-up so they're prepared').

noun
(literal) vaccinationimmunization injection(figurative) advance warningpreventive reminder (often in 打预防针)
Measure word · 针

Examples

  • 预防针。
    Hái zi měi nián dōu yào dǎ yù fáng zhēn.
    The child needs to get a vaccination shot every year.
  • 预防针，。
    Lǎo shī tí qián gěi wǒ men dǎ le yù fáng zhēn, shuō kǎo shì huì hěn nán.
    The teacher gave us an advance warning that the exam would be hard.
  • 预防针，。
    Mā ma zài diàn huà lǐ gěi wǒ dǎ le yù fáng zhēn, ràng wǒ bié chí dào.
    Mom gave me a warning on the phone not to be late.

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.

预防prevent in advance
预yùin advance防fángprevent
偏正Modifier + head
针zhēnneedle

预防 (prevent in advance) describes 针 (needle), a needle for prevention.

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 預; 预 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
予
予yǔ預yù
Same sound today

The traditional form 預 combines 予 for the sound and 頁 for the meaning; the simplified 预 is a later shorthand.

Open 预 →

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 針; 针 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
釒Written in full as金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
十
十shí針zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 針 puts 釒, the metal side, beside 十, which gives the sound; 针 is a simplified shorthand.

Open 针 →
Appears in
Medicine & Treatment

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.