防 meaning and stroke order
To protect; to defend; to guard against
How to write 防, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 防
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to protect
- to defend
- to guard against
- to prevent
How 防 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wall.
阝 gives the meaning and 方 hints at the sound.
Radical: 阝 (place), shared by 160 characters on this site.
How to remember 防
The left part 阝 here stands for a wall or mound, and 方 (fāng) gives the sound. Picture building a wall on one side to defend yourself and guard against danger.
防 usually appears in two-character words like 防止 (fángzhǐ, to prevent), 预防 (yùfáng, to take precautions) and 消防 (xiāofáng, firefighting). It can also stand alone before a noun in set phrases like 防晒 (fángshài, sun protection). Example: 多喝水可以预防感冒。(Duō hē shuǐ kěyǐ yùfáng gǎnmào.) Drinking more water can help prevent colds.
Common mistake: Learners often say 防 with the first tone because of its sound part 方 (fāng), but 防 is second tone, fáng. Also do not confuse it with 房 (fáng, house) or 访 (fǎng, to visit), which share 方 but have different meanings.
Common words with 防
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 防止 | fángzhǐ | to prevent; to guard against | HSK 3 |
| 预防 | yùfáng | to prevent; to take precautions against | HSK 3 |
| 消防 | xiāofáng | firefighting; fire control | HSK 5 |
| 防治 | fángzhì | to prevent and cure; prevention and cure | HSK 5 |
| 防守 | fángshǒu | to defend; to protect (against) | HSK 6 |
| 防范 | fángfàn | to be on guard; wariness | HSK 6 |
| 防御 | fángyù | defense; to defend | HSK 7-9 |
| 防卫 | fángwèi | to defend; defensive | HSK 7-9 |
| 防护 | fánghù | to defend; to protect | HSK 7-9 |
| 国防 | guófáng | national defense | HSK 7-9 |
| 提防 | dīfang | to guard against; to be vigilant | HSK 7-9 |
| 防火墙 | fánghuǒqiáng | firewall | HSK 7-9 |
| 防盗 | fángdào | to guard against theft; anti-theft | HSK 7-9 |
| 防汛 | fángxùn | flood control; anti-flood (precautions) | HSK 7-9 |
防 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 防
How many strokes are in 防?
防 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 防 mean?
防 (fáng) means to protect; to defend; to guard against. A common word with it is 防止 (fángzhǐ), meaning "to prevent; to guard against".
How do you pronounce 防?
防 is pronounced fáng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 防?
The radical of 防 is 阝, which carries the idea of "place". Dictionaries list 防 under this radical.
Is 防 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 防 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 防止 and 预防?
防止 (fángzhǐ) means to stop something bad from happening and often targets a specific problem, like 防止事故 (prevent accidents). 预防 (yùfáng) stresses taking action in advance, and is common with health topics, like 预防疾病 (prevent disease).
Why does 阝 on the left mean wall when it also appears on the right in other characters?
When 阝 is on the left, as in 防, 院 and 阳, it comes from a form meaning mound or hill, which links to walls and earthworks. When it is on the right, as in 都 or 部, it comes from a form meaning city or town.