予防

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 予防(よぼう) means taking action beforehand to prevent something undesirable.
• Basic usage: It is used in contexts of preparing in advance against accidents, infection, and similar problems.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• What is prevented
  • 事故の予防 is a noun phrase meaning accident prevention.
  • 感染を予防する is a verb phrase meaning to prevent infection.
• Action taken beforehand
  • 治療(ちりょう) is used for treating an illness or injury that already exists. 予防 centers on acting before occurrence and also applies to nonmedical matters such as accidents.