防护

• Pinyin: fáng hù
• Hanzi breakdown: 防 = 阝+ 方 (earthen embankment — a barrier); 护 = 扌+ 户 (a hand guarding a household — to protect)

Meaning

To protect; to guard. Measures or actions taken to shield people, objects, or systems from harm, danger, or damage.

Widely used in workplace safety, environmental protection, military, and cybersecurity contexts. Often collocates with 设备、措施、层、能力、用品. More action-oriented than 保护 in technical and regulatory language.

Examples

1. 在高辐射环境下进行操作的工作人员必须穿戴符合国家标准的防护服，并在每次任务后接受专业的健康监测。 Workers operating in high-radiation environments must wear protective suits that meet national standards and undergo professional health monitoring after each mission.
2. 该城市近年来建立了多道生态防护林带，有效阻挡了来自北方的沙尘，使城区空气质量得到了显著改善。 In recent years, the city has established multiple ecological shelterbelt forests that effectively block dust and sand from the north, significantly improving urban air quality.
3. 网络安全专家指出，仅凭防火墙难以实现全面防护，企业还需对员工进行定期的信息安全培训，以减少人为失误造成的漏洞。 Cybersecurity experts point out that a firewall alone can’t provide comprehensive protection. Companies also need regular information security training for employees to reduce vulnerabilities caused by human error.

Usage Guide

Context: safety, environment, technology, military

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 施工现场的工人必须全程佩戴头盔、护目镜等个人防护用品，违者将被立即停工处理。(Workers at construction sites must wear personal protective equipment such as helmets and goggles at all times; violators will be immediately suspended from work.)
• 该药品的说明书明确指出，长期服用者须定期复查肝功能，并采取相应的防护措施以降低副作用风险。(The drug's instruction leaflet clearly states that long-term users must have their liver function checked regularly and take appropriate protective measures to reduce the risk of side effects.)

Don't Say

• 用防护一下 — 防护 is not typically used as a light colloquial verb; use 保护一下 or 采取防护措施 instead in informal speech

Origin & History

防 (to guard/prevent) + 护 (to protect) — combined to mean active protection against harm

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal