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防止 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
防止fángzhǐto preventHSK 5, v, 10 strokes, rank #4462, Hard
防止fángzhǐto guard againstHSK 5, v, 10 strokes, rank #4462, Hard
防止fángzhǐto take precautionsHSK 5, v, 10 strokes, rank #4462, Hard
fángzhǐ(fang2zhi3)fang zhi T2
  1. 1to prevent
  2. 2to guard against
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March 24, 2026

防止fángzhǐ(fang2zhi3)

防止 (fángzhǐ) means to prevent or guard against something undesirable from occurring. It is commonly used in contexts related to safety, health, and risk management, indicating proactive measures taken to avert potential problems or dangers.

Strokes10Frequency#4462DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, there is a strong emphasis on prevention and health, often reflected in traditional practices like acupuncture and herbal medicine aimed at preventing illness rather than just treating it. This cultural focus on prevention is embodied in the term 防止.

Memory Tip

Think of 防 (fáng) as a protective wall and 止 (zhǐ) as a stop sign. Together, they create an image of stopping something bad from crossing your wall, helping you remember that 防止 means to prevent or guard against something.

Meanings of 防止

fángzhǐ(fang2zhi3)
1to prevent
2to guard against
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 防止

防止Simplified
10Strokes
—Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#4462Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L5ElementaryTOCFLL3YCTL4HSKKL2CEFRA2

Podcast: 防止

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Podcast: 防止

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AI Study Notes for 防止

Quick Contrast

预防 (yùfáng) vs 防止 (fángzhǐ): 预防 emphasizes taking measures to prevent something from happening in the future, while 防止 focuses on stopping something undesirable from occurring.

Usage Notes

防止 is typically used in formal contexts, especially in discussions about safety or security. Common collocations include 防止事故 (fángzhǐ shìgù - prevent accidents) and 防止感染 (fángzhǐ gǎnrǎn - prevent infection). Be careful not to confuse it with similar terms that imply a passive approach.

HSK Study Tips

As a level 6 vocabulary word, 防止 connects with other terms related to safety and health. Students should focus on its usage in phrases and recognize its role in formal writing or discussions about preventive measures.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 防止 with 预防, using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我预防火灾' (I prevent fire) instead of '我防止火灾' (I guard against fire) can imply different meanings in context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 防止

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Component Characters

防fángto protect
HSK 56 strokes阝
View full entry
止zhǐto stop
HSK 54 strokes止
View full entry

How to say to prevent in Chinese

“to prevent” in Chinese is防止fángzhǐ

防止 (fángzhǐ) means to prevent or guard against something undesirable from occurring. It is commonly used in contexts related to safety, health, and risk management, indicating proactive measures taken to avert potential problems or dangers.

When to use 防止

防止 is typically used in formal contexts, especially in discussions about safety or security. Common collocations include 防止事故 (fángzhǐ shìgù - prevent accidents) and 防止感染 (fángzhǐ gǎnrǎn - prevent infection). Be careful not to confuse it with similar terms that imply a passive approach.

防止 or something close to it

预防 (yùfáng) vs 防止 (fángzhǐ): 预防 emphasizes taking measures to prevent something from happening in the future, while 防止 focuses on stopping something undesirable from occurring.

What learners get wrong

Learners sometimes confuse 防止 with 预防, using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我预防火灾' (I prevent fire) instead of '我防止火灾' (I guard against fire) can imply different meanings in context.

Write 防止

防
止

Practice writing 防止 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 防止

防止 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

我把油画平放以____未干的颜料流动。

I lay the painting flat to stop the wet paint running.

Example Sentences for 防止 (10)

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1
我把油画平放以防止未干的颜料流动。

wǒ bǎ yóu huà píng fàng yǐ fáng zhǐ wèi gān de yán liào liú dòng。

I lay the painting flat to stop the wet paint running.
2
你怎样防止它再次发生？

nǐ zěn yàng fáng zhǐ tā zài cì fā shēng？

What can you do to keep it from happening again?
3
为了防止有人跟踪我，我特地绕了弯路。

wéi le fáng zhǐ yǒu rén gēn zōng wǒ， ， wǒ tè dì rào le wān。

In case anyone was following me, I made an elaborate detour.
4
内置有断路器，防止设备过载。

nèi zhì yǒu duàn lù qì， ， fáng zhǐ shè bèi guò。

There is an internal circuit breaker to protect the instrument from overload.
5
用木板封好窗户,防止盗贼进入.

yòng mù bǎn fēng hǎo chuāng hù, , fáng zhǐ dào zéi jìn.

The windows are boarded up to prevent the thieves from breaking in.
6
希腊人认为紫水晶可以防止人喝醉。

xī là rén rèn wéi zǐ shuǐ jīng kě yǐ fáng zhǐ rén hē zuì。

Amethyst was believed by the Greeks to protect a person from drunkenness.
7
给孩子皮肤上抹些凡士林以防止肿痛。

gěi hái zǐ pí fū shàng mǒ xiē fán shì lín yǐ fáng zhǐ zhǒng tòng。

Smear Vaseline on to your baby's skin to prevent soreness.
8
所有的门都用砖堵了起来，防止破坏分子闯入。

suǒ yǒu de mén dū yòng zhuān dǔ le qǐ lái， ， fáng zhǐ pò huài fēn zǐ chuǎng。

All the doors have been bricked up to deter vandals.
9
为了防止蜜蜂迷路，养蜂人给它们喝糖水。

wéi le fáng zhǐ mì fēng mí lù， ， yǎng fēng rén gěi tā mén hē táng。

To keep their bees from wandering, beekeepers feed them sugar solutions.
10
安全部队不得不介入，以防止局势进一步恶化。

ān quán bù duì bù dé bù jiè rù， ， yǐ fáng zhǐ jú shì jìn yī bù è。

The security forces had to intervene to prevent the situation worsening.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 防止

While it can be used in everyday conversation, it is more commonly found in formal contexts, such as discussions about health and safety.

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