Definition
防止 (fángzhǐ) means 'to prevent, to guard against' — it focuses on stopping an undesirable outcome from happening. It is broader than 阻止 (zǔzhǐ 'to block/stop'), which implies actively halting an action in progress, and different from 避免 (bìmiǎn 'to avoid'), which means keeping away from something. The monosyllabic 防 (fáng) is often used in compounds like 预防 (yùfáng 'take precautions').
verb
to preventto guard against
Easily confused
- 放置fàng zhìsound-aliketo place, to put (in a specific position)
- 仿制fǎng zhìsound-aliketo copy, to imitate (by making a replica)
- 纺织fǎng zhīsound-aliketo spin and weave; to produce textiles
- 防治fáng zhìsound-aliketo prevent and treat; to control (disease, pests, pollution, etc.)
Examples
- 防止。Dìngqī jiǎnchá kěyǐ fáng zhǐ shìgù de fāshēng.Regular inspections can prevent accidents.
- 防止。Qín xǐshǒu néng yǒuxiào fáng zhǐ jíbìng.Frequent handwashing can effectively prevent disease.
- 防止。Tāmen cǎiqǔ le cuòshī lái fáng zhǐ sǔnshī.They took measures to prevent losses.
Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.