fan1 / fan4羒
Jyutpingfan1 / fan4
Yalefān / fàhn
Definition
Sheep; a castrated ram or ewe.
colloquialpeopleslang
How it's used
This term is a phonetic loan from English used specifically to refer to a fan or enthusiast of a person, group, or hobby. It is frequently used in online communities and social media to describe followers or supporters. While it sounds identical to the English word, it is written with the character 羒 to distinguish it from other homophones.
Examples
He really likes that movie and even bought a lot of fan merchandise.
Are you a loyal fan of that celebrity?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 粉絲, which is the more common, standard way to write fan in both Cantonese and Mandarin. Using 羒 is a stylistic choice often seen in text-based informal communication rather than spoken language.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
