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防线 (fáng xiàn) — line of defense; defensive line

Definition

防线 (fángxiàn) is a 'defensive line' — a military or metaphorical line of defense that an opponent must break through, stronger than a single defense point. It also extends to non-military domains like psychology (心理防线) and sports.

noun
line of defensedefensive line
Measure word · 道

Examples

  • 防线。
    Jūn duì zài biān jìng jiàn lì le yí dào jiān gù de fáng xiàn.
    The army built a solid defensive line at the border.
  • 防线。
    Duì fāng qiú duì tū pò le wǒ men de fáng xiàn.
    The opposing team broke through our defensive line.
  • 防线。
    Wǒ men xū yào xīn de cè lüè lái gǒng gù xīn lǐ fáng xiàn.
    We need new strategies to reinforce our psychological defenses.

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fángdefend
线xiànline

防 means defend and 线 means line, combining into a defensive line.

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 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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