蕃

bō, fān, fán

番 + 艹

Definitions

bō see 吐蕃[tǔ bō]

fān variant of 番[fān]; foreign (non-Chinese)

fán luxuriant; flourishing; to reproduce; to proliferate

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 番 represents the sound.

Semantic: 艹 Phonetic: 番

About

蕃 is a phono-semantic compound: 艹 provides the vegetation meaning, and 番 gives the sound. It originally denoted lush, spreading plant growth, evoking agricultural abundance. Over time, the character acquired divergent pronunciations and meanings, referring to foreign lands, ethnic minorities, or border regions, often interchangeable with its phonetic component 番 in historical texts. It also has a distinct reading in the name for the Tibetan Empire, 吐蕃, showing how a botanical term expanded into historical and ethnographic usage.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢吃蕃茄炒蛋。

Wǒ xǐhuān chī fānqié chǎo dàn.

I like to eat scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

妈妈买了新鲜的蕃茄。

Māma mǎi le xīnxiān de fānqié.

Mom bought fresh tomatoes.

这些植物蕃殖得很快。

Zhèxiē zhíwù fánzhí de hěn kuài.

These plants multiply quickly.

花园里的草木很蕃茂。

Huāyuán lǐ de cǎomù hěn fánmào.

The plants in the garden are very lush.

吐蕃是古代的一个王国。

Tǔbō shì gǔdài de yīgè wángguó.

Tubo was an ancient kingdom.

蕃茄富含维生素对健康有益。

Fānqié fù hán wéishēngsù duì jiànkāng yǒuyì.

Tomatoes are rich in vitamins and beneficial for health.

他的事业蕃昌如春日草木。

Tā de shìyè fánchāng rú chūnrì cǎomù.

His career is flourishing like spring plants.

通过精心照料，这片土地的蕃息令人惊叹。

Tōngguò jīngxīn zhàoliào, zhè piàn tǔdì de fánxī lìng rén jīngtàn.

Through careful care, the proliferation of this land is amazing.

Related Characters

Component: 番

Component: 艹

蕃