防衛
ぼうえい · bouei · JLPT N1 · noun
defense
🛡️ 防 (guard, ward off) + 衛 (protect, guard) = guard + guard: defense as guarding against attack
防 means to prevent or ward off, and 衛 means to guard or protect. Together they mean defending against harm. Pronounced bouei, like 'bow-ay'.
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'.