防卫
fángwèi · HSK 7
defend
🛡️ 防 block + 卫 guard — fang-way: fangs guarding the way
防 carries the city-wall radical 阝 plus 方 (direction), hinting at blocking from all sides. 卫 means guard on its own. Together they stack two layers of protection into one word.
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'.