About
The character "蕃" is structured with the grass radical "艹" positioned above the component "番", signaling its initial semantic domain of vegetation and plant life. Etymologically, it denoted the luxuriant or dense growth of plants, emphasizing fertility and proliferation. Over centuries, its meaning expanded beyond botany to encompass general concepts of multiplication, abundance, and thriving. In certain compound words, such as "蕃茄" (tomato), it adopted the sense of "foreign" or "from abroad", a semantic shift influenced by one of the meanings associated with the "番" component, which can refer to foreign lands or alternation.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我喜欢吃蕃茄炒蛋。
妈妈买了新鲜的蕃茄。
这些植物蕃殖得很快。
花园里的草木很蕃茂。
吐蕃是古代的一个王国。
蕃茄富含维生素对健康有益。
他的事业蕃昌如春日草木。
通过精心照料，这片土地的蕃息令人惊叹。