About
The character 蕃 is a phono-semantic compound, with the radical 艹 indicating its semantic category of plants and vegetation, and the component 番 providing its phonetic element. Originally, it described the flourishing growth of dense vegetation, evoking natural abundance. Over time, its meaning expanded and its pronunciation diversified, coming to refer to foreign lands, ethnic groups, or border regions, often used interchangeably with 番 in historical texts. It also has a distinct pronunciation when denoting the historical Tibetan Empire, Tubo, illustrating how a term rooted in botany evolved to encompass broader geographical and ethnographic meanings.
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。