Definitions
About
The character 番 is an ideogrammatic compound combining the top component 釆 (biàn), which originally depicted the distinct footprints of a wild animal, with the lower radical 田 (tián), meaning a cultivated field. This structure visually suggests animal tracks appearing across farmland, evoking notions of sequence, repetition, and a series of events. From this imagery, the character developed its primary function as a measure word for actions or occurrences, indicating how many times something happens. Through historical phonetic borrowing and cross-regional influence, it also acquired a secondary meaning related to foreign lands, non-native peoples, or things introduced from outside.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
妈妈买了番茄。
番薯是一种健康食物。
他有一番自己的道理。
他们轮番上场表演。
请记住你的部队番号。
这本小说有番外篇。
信封上要写明番地。
古代中国称外国为番邦。