Definition

1. Verb:

   • To provide for / to prepare for: To make arrangements or plans in advance to deal with a possible, often negative, future event or situation.
   • To have as a reserve / to keep in reserve: To allocate or hold something (like funds, supplies, or capacity) for use if needed in the future.

2. Adjective:

   • Reserve / backup / contingency / standby: Describes something (a plan, fund, part, or system) that is kept available to be used if the primary one fails or if an emergency occurs.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Chúng tôi cần dự phòng một khoản tiền cho trường hợp khẩn cấp. (We need to set aside a sum of money for emergencies.)
  • Công ty đang dự phòng các phương án thay thế. (The company is preparing alternative plans.)
• Adjective:
  • Hãy sử dụng nguồn điện dự phòng. (Please use the backup power source.)
  • Đây là kế hoạch dự phòng của chúng tôi. (This is our contingency plan.)

Advanced Usage

• "Quỹ dự phòng": Reserve fund / contingency fund.
  • Quỹ dự phòng được sử dụng để sửa chữa thiệt hại sau bão. (The reserve fund is used to repair damage after the storm.)
• "Dự phòng rủi ro": Risk provisioning / to make provision for risks.
  • Ngân hàng phải dự phòng rủi ro cho các khoản vay. (The bank must make provision for risks on its loans.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dự trữ (v/n): To stockpile / to store; a stockpile, a reserve (often for physical goods like food, fuel).
  • Họ dự trữ nước sạch trước mùa bão. (They stockpile clean water before the storm season.)
• Phòng ngừa (v): To prevent, to take preventive measures (focuses more on stopping something from happening).
  • Tiêm chủng để phòng ngừa bệnh. (Vaccinate to prevent disease.)

Synonyms

• Verb: To anticipate, to plan for, to set aside, to allocate.
• Adjective: Alternate, spare, emergency, fallback.

Related Idioms

• "Làm dự phòng" / "Có kế hoạch dự phòng": To have a backup plan / a Plan B.
  • Trong kinh doanh, luôn nên có kế hoạch dự phòng. (In business, you should always have a backup plan.)

1. Provide for (some undesirable event), provice against
   • Kế hoạch dự phòng bão lụt
     a plan providing against storms and floods