防 (fáng) · to prevent, to defend, to guard against

Meanings

1 to prevent
2 to defend
3 to guard against

Characters

防

fáng

to guard against; to prevent

Contains 阝 (mound radical) + 方 (direction) - guarding a walled area from all directions.

Examples

HSK 4

防火很重要。

Fánghuǒ hěn zhòngyào.

Fire prevention is very important.

HSK 5

防不胜防。

Fángbúshèngfáng.

Impossible to guard against completely.

HSK 6

我们要防小偷。

Wǒmen yào fáng xiǎotōu.

We need to guard against thieves.

Tips

usage

防 forms many useful compounds: 防水 (waterproof), 防火 (fireproof), 防晒 (sunscreen/sun protection), 国防 (national defense).

Components

radical

阝 fù

mound; hill (left radical form of 阜)

Left 阝 is the side-form of 阜 (mound, embankment) - the indexing radical. Originally 防 meant a dyke or earth wall built to hold back water; from physical defense came the abstract senses to guard against and to prevent. Same left-mound family as 阵 (battle line), 阶 (steps), 院 (courtyard). Note: right-side 阝 represents 邑 (city), a different morpheme.

phonetic

方 fāng

square; direction

Right 方 supplies the sound (fāng → fáng, just a tone shift). 方 originally depicted a plough or a squared boundary - its straight-edged regularity faintly reinforces the wall-and-rampart imagery of the radical. Same phonetic in 房 (room), 放 (release), 访 (visit), 仿 (imitate).