The word "粉丝" is formed from the characters "粉" (fěn), meaning powder or starch, and "丝" (sī), meaning silk or thread, which together literally refer to vermicelli noodles made from starch and having a thread-like form. This term was later borrowed phonetically to mimic the English word "fans", with the literal meaning of intertwined threads providing a metaphorical sense of connectedness for a group of admirers.