faan1蕃
Jyutpingfaan1
Yalefāan
Definition
Foreign; non-Chinese; or a classifier for occurrences of an action or deed.
- foreign country; foreign
- classifier for occurrences of an action or deed
- literarya loyal friend
colloquialfood
How it's used
Modern Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use this character as a phonetic component in words like 蕃茄 for tomato or 蕃薯 for sweet potato. The historical sense of foreign or barbarian is largely obsolete and can sound offensive or archaic if used to describe people. When used in these common food terms, it is often interchangeable with the character 番.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 蕃 with 番. While they are frequently used interchangeably in modern writing for words like 番茄 and 番薯, 蕃 is technically the older, more specific character for these plants, whereas 番 is much more versatile and common in everyday life.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
