fan1氛
Jyutpingfan1
Yalefān
Definition
Atmosphere, mood, or air; miasma.
- atmosphere; mood; air
- literarymiasma; vapor
neutraldescriptionsother
How it's used
This character is almost never used on its own in spoken Cantonese. It appears almost exclusively as part of the compound 氣氛 to describe the mood or vibe of a place or event. While it refers to atmosphere, it specifically targets the emotional or social energy rather than the physical air quality.
Examples
The atmosphere here is very lively.
How do you find the atmosphere of this occasion?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this character as a standalone word for air or weather. Learners sometimes mistake it for the word for air, but that is always 空氣.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
