提防

dīfang

verb HSK 7-9 #11,761

Meanings

1 to watch out for; to guard against
2 to be on the alert

Characters

to be careful (special reading)

to guard against

Note the unusual pronunciation: dīfang, NOT tífáng. This is one of the most commonly mispronounced words in Chinese.

Examples

出门在外要提防小偷。

Chūménzàiwài yào dīfang xiǎotōu.

Watch out for pickpockets when you're out.

你要提防那个人，他不可靠。

Nǐ yào dīfang nàge rén, tā bùkě kào.

Be on your guard around that person — he's not reliable.

Tips

mistakes

提防 is pronounced dīfang (1st tone + neutral tone), NOT tífáng. This trips up even native speakers. The character 提 has two readings: tí (to lift, to mention) and dī (only in 提防).

Stroke Order

提 tí

防 fáng