tou3 faan4吐蕃
Jyutpingtou3 faan4
Yaletou fàahn
Definition
The Tibetan Empire; a historical state that existed on the Tibetan Plateau.
neutralother
How it's used
Historical terms like this are often pronounced differently in Cantonese compared to Mandarin, reflecting older phonetic layers. While it refers to the historical Tibetan Empire, it is strictly a formal historical term and never used to describe modern Tibet, which is referred to as 西藏.
Examples
Tubo is a name often seen in history books.
Do you know where the Tibetan Empire developed in the past?
Related words
Common phrases
Tibetan Empire dynasty
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this term to refer to modern Tibet, but it is exclusively reserved for the historical imperial period of the Tibetan plateau.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
