fángyù: 防御 - Defense, To Defend

• Keywords: fangyu, 防御, defense in Chinese, how to say defend in Chinese, protect, guard, military defense, cybersecurity, sports defense, Chinese for video games, immune system.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 防御 (fángyù), meaning “defense” or “to defend.” This versatile term is crucial for discussing everything from military strategy and sports to cybersecurity and video games. This guide breaks down its characters, cultural context, and practical usage with over 10 example sentences, helping you understand how to talk about protecting a nation, blocking an opponent, or setting up a digital firewall.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fángyù
• Part of Speech: Noun / Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To actively defend against an attack; defense.
• In a Nutshell: 防御 (fángyù) is all about actively resisting a threat. Imagine building a fortress wall, raising a shield, or installing antivirus software. It implies an external force is trying to attack or harm something, and you are taking specific measures to stop it. It's a more formal and technical term than general “protection,” carrying a sense of strategy and resistance.

• 防 (fáng): This character means “to defend against” or “to prevent.” The left part (阝) is a radical often related to mounds or embankments, suggesting a physical barrier. The right part, 方 (fāng), provides the sound. Think of 防 as setting up a guard or a dam.
• 御 (yù): This character originally meant to drive a chariot, which extended to mean “to manage,” “to control,” and by extension, “to resist” or “ward off” an enemy. Think of 御 as the action of resisting or managing an oncoming force.

Together, 防 (to guard against) + 御 (to resist) create 防御 (fángyù), a strong and clear term for mounting a defense against a specific threat.

While 防御 (fángyù) is a practical term, it's deeply embedded in Chinese strategic thought. The most monumental example is the Great Wall of China (长城 Chángchéng), the ultimate symbol of national 防御. For millennia, Chinese strategy has revolved around securing borders and defending the heartland. In the classic text The Art of War (孙子兵法 Sūnzǐ Bīngfǎ), Sun Tzu emphasizes that being undefeatable lies in one's own hands, through strong defense. He famously states, “He who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recesses of the earth” (善守者，藏于九地之下), highlighting that a perfect 防御 makes you invisible and invulnerable to attack. Compared to the English word “defense,” 防御 is used very similarly in military, sports, and technical contexts. However, when an English speaker says someone is being “defensive” emotionally, they usually mean the person is overly sensitive to criticism. In Chinese, you would more likely use a word like `敏感 (mǐngǎn)` (sensitive) rather than 防御. 防御 retains a more tactical and less personal-emotional flavor.

防御 (fángyù) is a common and important word in many modern fields.

• Military and Geopolitics: This is its most traditional use. You'll hear it constantly in news reports about international relations and military technology.
  • e.g., 国家防御体系 (guójiā fángyù tǐxì) - national defense system.
• Sports: In any sport with opposing teams, 防御 is used just like “defense” in English.
  • e.g., 我们的防御有漏洞。(Wǒmen de fángyù yǒu lòudòng.) - Our defense has holes.
• Video Games (游戏 yóuxì): A massive context for this word. Gamers are intimately familiar with it.
  • e.g., 防御力 (fángyù lì) - defense power (a character stat); 增加防御 (zēngjiā fángyù) - to increase defense.
• Cybersecurity (网络安全 wǎngluò ānquán): As digital threats grow, 防御 is the key term for protection.
  • e.g., 防御网络攻击 (fángyù wǎngluò gōngjī) - to defend against cyberattacks.
• Medicine and Health (医学与健康 yīxué yǔ jiànkāng): It describes the body's natural protective functions.
  • e.g., 免疫系统的防御功能 (miǎnyì xìtǒng de fángyù gōngnéng) - the defensive function of the immune system.

• Example 1:
  • 进攻是最好的防御。
  • Pinyin: Jìngōng shì zuì hǎo de fángyù.
  • English: Offense is the best defense.
  • Analysis: A classic strategic proverb, used in military, business, and sports contexts. Here, 防御 is used as a noun.
• Example 2:
  • 我们必须加强国家的防御能力。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū jiāqiáng guójiā de fángyù nénglì.
  • English: We must strengthen our country's defense capabilities.
  • Analysis: A formal sentence you might hear from a government official. It refers to national defense in a broad sense.
• Example 3:
  • 这个游戏角色的防御力很高，但攻击力很弱。
  • Pinyin: Zhège yóuxì juésè de fángyù lì hěn gāo, dàn gōngjī lì hěn ruò.
  • English: This game character's defense power is very high, but its attack power is weak.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the extremely common use of 防御 in video game terminology. `防御力 (fángyù lì)` is a standard term for the “defense” stat.
• Example 4:
  • 面对对手的快攻，我们的球队迅速组织起了有效的防御。
  • Pinyin: Miànduì duìshǒu de kuàigōng, wǒmen de qiúduì xùnsù zǔzhī qǐle yǒuxiào de fángyù.
  • English: Facing the opponent's fast break, our team quickly organized an effective defense.
  • Analysis: A typical sports commentary sentence. Here, 防御 refers to the coordinated defensive actions of a team.
• Example 5:
  • 安装防火墙是防御网络病毒的第一步。
  • Pinyin: Ānzhuāng fánghuǒqiáng shì fángyù wǎngluò bìngdú de dì yī bù.
  • English: Installing a firewall is the first step in defending against network viruses.
  • Analysis: This shows 防御 used as a verb in a cybersecurity context. It means “to defend against.”
• Example 6:
  • 免疫系统是身体防御疾病的重要屏障。
  • Pinyin: Miǎnyì xìtǒng shì shēntǐ fángyù jíbìng de zhòngyào píngzhàng.
  • English: The immune system is the body's important barrier for defending against diseases.
  • Analysis: A common biological or medical usage. It highlights the body's active resistance to illness.
• Example 7:
  • 古代的城堡设计了多重防御工事。
  • Pinyin: Gǔdài de chéngbǎo shèjìle duō chóng fángyù gōngshì.
  • English: Ancient castles were designed with multiple layers of defensive fortifications.
  • Analysis: A historical context. `防御工事 (fángyù gōngshì)` means “defensive works” or “fortifications.”
• Example 8:
  • 这种植物的尖刺是它用来防御食草动物的武器。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng zhíwù de jiāncì shì tā yòng lái fángyù shícǎo dòngwù de wǔqì.
  • English: The thorns on this plant are its weapon for defending against herbivores.
  • Analysis: An example from the natural world, showing the broad applicability of the term.
• Example 9:
  • 在辩论中，他为自己的观点做了有力的防御。
  • Pinyin: Zài biànlùn zhōng, tā wèi zìjǐ de guāndiǎn zuòle yǒulì de fángyù.
  • English: In the debate, he made a powerful defense for his viewpoint.
  • Analysis: This is a slightly more abstract use. While `辩护 (biànhù)` is more common for formal defense/argument, 防御 can be used here to imply fending off attacks on one's ideas.
• Example 10:
  • 面对批评，他立刻摆出了防御的姿态。
  • Pinyin: Miànduì pīpíng, tā lìkè bǎi chūle fángyù de zītài.
  • English: Faced with criticism, he immediately adopted a defensive posture.
  • Analysis: This is the closest Chinese comes to the English emotional sense of “defensive.” `防御的姿态 (fángyù de zītài)` means a “defensive posture/stance.”

• 防御 (fángyù) vs. 保护 (bǎohù): This is the most critical distinction for learners.
  • 防御 (fángyù) is for resisting an active attack or threat (enemy, virus, sports opponent). It's tactical.
  • 保护 (bǎohù) is for general protection, care, and preservation (children, the environment, cultural heritage). It's nurturing.
  • Incorrect: `我要防御我的皮肤不被晒伤。` (Wǒ yào fángyù wǒ de pífū bù bèi shàishāng.)
  • Correct: `我要保护我的皮肤不被晒伤。` (Wǒ yào bǎohù wǒ de pífū bù bèi shàishāng.) - You “protect” your skin, you don't “defend” it as if the sun is launching a military strike.
• 防御 (fángyù) vs. 防守 (fángshǒu): These are very close synonyms, often interchangeable in military and sports.
  • 防御 (fángyù) can be more abstract or technical, referring to a “defense system” or “defense capability.”
  • 防守 (fángshǒu) often refers more to the concrete act of defending or holding a position. Think “to be on the defensive.” In many sports sentences, they can be swapped with little change in meaning.
• Legal “Defense”: Do not use 防御 to mean “defending someone in court.” The correct legal term is 辩护 (biànhù).
  • Incorrect: `律师在法庭上防御他的客户。`
  • Correct: `律师在法庭上为他的客户辩护。` (Lǜshī zài fǎtíng shàng wèi tā de kèhù biànhù.)

• `攻击 (gōngjī)` - The direct antonym: attack, offense.
• `防守 (fángshǒu)` - A very close synonym, focusing on the act of defending, especially in sports or a battle.
• `保护 (bǎohù)` - To protect (in a general, nurturing sense). The most common point of confusion with `防御`.
• `抵抗 (dǐkàng)` - To resist, to oppose. Emphasizes the element of fighting back against pressure or invasion.
• `捍卫 (hànwèi)` - To defend in a solemn, principled way (e.g., to defend one's honor, national sovereignty, or rights). More formal and powerful than `防御`.
• `国防 (guófáng)` - National defense. A specific compound word using the `防` character.
• `防备 (fángbèi)` - To take precautions against; to be on guard for. Focuses on preparedness before an event.
• `防火墙 (fánghuǒqiáng)` - Firewall. A perfect modern example, literally “defend-fire-wall.”
• `辩护 (biànhù)` - To defend in an argument or a court of law; to plead on someone's behalf.