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防火墙 (fáng huǒ qiáng) — firewall (physical barrier against fire, counted with 堵); firewall (network security system)

Definition

A firewall is literally a 'fire-blocking wall' — in Chinese it covers both a physical fire-resistant wall and a network security system that blocks unauthorized traffic.

noun
firewall (physical barrier against fire, counted with 堵)firewall (network security system)
Measure word · 堵

Examples

  • 防火墙。
    Zhè dǔ fáng huǒ qiáng bǎ liǎng gè qū yù gé kāi le.
    This firewall separates the two areas.
  • 防火墙。
    Gōng sī de fáng huǒ qiáng néng fáng zhǐ wǎng luò gōng jī.
    The company's firewall can prevent network attacks.
  • 防火墙。
    Nǐ xū yào shè zhì fáng huǒ qiáng guī zé lái bǎo hù shù jù.
    You need to set firewall rules to protect data.

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.

防火prevent fire
防fángprevent火huǒfire
动宾Verb + object
墙qiángwall

防火 means prevent fire, and 墙 is a wall, so the meaning is a barrier against fire.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

Open 火 →

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 牆; 墙 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
嗇嗇sèwheat in a granary
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán牆qiáng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 牆, 爿 gives the sound and 嗇, showing wheat in a granary, gives the wall meaning. The simplified 墙 is a later short form.

Open 墙 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Computers & Internet

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