防 (fáng): to prevent

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

防火很重要。

Fánghuǒ hěn zhòngyào.

Fire prevention is very important.

我们要防小偷。

Wǒmen yào fáng xiǎotōu.

We need to guard against thieves.

防不胜防。

Fángbùshèngfáng.

Impossible to guard against completely.

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).