防
fáng · HSK 3
guard
🛡️ 防 = 阝(mound/wall) + 方 (fāng, phonetic) — wall that guards
The 阝on the left is the 'mound/hill' radical, signaling earthworks or barriers. 方 (fāng) gives the sound. So 防 fáng literally points to a defensive embankment — guarding, preventing, preparing against attack.
防 — mound radical 阝(阜) + 方 fāng (phonetic)
防 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left element 阝 (from 阜) depicts a mound or earthen embankment, suggesting barriers and defense. The right element 方 supplies the sound. Together they evoke a dike or rampart that guards against floods or attacks, hence 'to guard, prevent, defend'.