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防身 (fáng shēn) — (verb-object) to defend oneself; (noun) self-defense

Definition

A verb-object phrase meaning 'to defend oneself' or 'self-defense', usually referring to skills, techniques, or tools used to protect one's own body from attack. Often pairs with 术 ('art'), 用品 ('item'), or 术.

noun
(verb-object) to defend oneselfself-defense

Examples

  • 防身。
    Tā cóng lái méi fáng shēn guò shēn.
    He has never defended himself.
  • 防身。
    Tā xué le jǐ nián fáng shēn shù.
    She studied self-defense for a few years.
  • 防身。
    Chū mén zuì hǎo dài yí jiàn fáng shēn yòng pǐn.
    It's best to bring a self-defense item when going out.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

防fángdefend; guard
身shēnbody; self

防 is defend and 身 is oneself, so the action is defending one's body.

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.

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →
Appears in
Safety & Danger

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