防止

• Pinyin: fáng zhǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 防 = 阝 (mound) + 方 (direction), to guard; 止 = pictograph of a foot stopping, meaning to stop

Meaning

To prevent; to guard against; to avoid. Taking action to stop something bad from happening.

A formal and common way to express prevention. Often used with negative outcomes like accidents, mistakes, or problems. Frequently appears in official notices, rules, and practical advice.

Examples

1. 为了防止迟到，他每天提前半小时出门。 To prevent being late, he leaves half an hour early every day.
2. 这个软件可以防止电脑中毒。 This software can prevent the computer from getting viruses.
3. 老师提醒同学们防止考试作弊。 The teacher reminded students to guard against cheating on exams.

Usage Guide

Context: safety, work, everyday

Tone: cautious

Do Say

• 我们应该采取措施防止这种情况再次发生。(We should take measures to prevent this situation from happening again.)
• 多喝水可以防止感冒。(Drinking more water can help prevent colds.)

Don't Say

• 防止好事发生 (Don't use 防止 for positive events — 防止 implies stopping something negative; for positive things, use 促进 or 推动)

Origin & History

Compound of 防 (guard against) and 止 (stop), together meaning to prevent something from occurring.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal