verb HSK 5
to guard against · to be on guard · to watch out for · to be cautious of
Meaning
提防 means to be vigilant or cautious about something potentially harmful or dangerous. It expresses the idea of staying alert to prevent unwanted situations or to protect oneself from threats, whether physical, social, or abstract.
Usage
提防 is commonly used in formal and informal contexts when warning someone to be careful of a person, situation, or potential danger. It often appears with 小心 (be careful) in warnings. Native speakers use it when advising caution about specific threats rather than general carefulness.
Examples
- 01出门在外要提防陌生人。.When you're out, you should watch out for strangers.
- 02他一直提防着竞争对手的动作。.He has been constantly guarding against his competitors' moves.
Characters
Common collocations
- 提防小偷to watch out for thieves
- 提防上当to guard against being cheated
- 暗中提防to be secretly on guard
- 时刻提防to be constantly vigilant
Antonyms
Origin
The character 提 here takes the pronunciation 'dī' (rather than its more common 'tí') and originally meant to guard or be alert. Combined with 防 (defend/prevent), the compound reinforces the meaning of active vigilance and prevention.