防灾 (fáng zāi) — to take precautions against natural disasters

Definition

A formal verb meaning to guard against natural disasters. Used in official or institutional contexts (e.g., 防灾工作 'disaster prevention work'), not in casual everyday speech.

verb
to take precautions against natural disasters

Examples

  • 防灾。
    Zhèng fǔ yīng gāi jiā qiáng fáng zāi gōng zuò.
    The government should strengthen disaster prevention work.
  • 。
    Měi nián wǒ men dōu yào fáng yí cì zāi.
    Every year we have to take disaster precautions once.
  • 防灾，。
    Dà jiā nǔ lì fáng zāi, jiǎn shǎo sǔn shī.
    Everyone works hard to prevent disasters and reduce losses.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

防fángtake precautions
灾zāidisaster

“防” means take precautions and “灾” means disaster, so the word means disaster 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.

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 災; 灾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡿧
𡿧𡿧災zāi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 災 combines 火 (fire) with 𡿧, an old picture of flowing water that supplied the sound; the simplified 灾 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 灾 →

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