番 (fān) - Foreign & barbarian

番Tone 1

fān ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

恩丰

番 · fān

Foreign;

barbarian;

turn, time, occasion;

used in words related to foreign lands, rotation, or counting occurrences.

Foreignbarbarianturn, time, occasion

Usage highlights

Foreign countryTomatoTurn, timeRotationForeign barbarianSeveral times

Synonyms

  • 外— foreign, external
  • 次— time, occasion
  • 遍— time, occasion

Antonyms

  • 华— Chinese, splendid (antonym to the 'foreign' sense)
  • 夏— Chinese, summer (antonym to the 'foreign' sense)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This is the first time (第一次).
  • Foreign countries (外国).
  • Tomato (番茄).
  • Several times (几番).

Collocations

  • Foreign country(番邦)
  • Tomato(番茄)
  • Turn, time(一番)
  • Rotation(轮番)
  • Foreign barbarian(番人)
  • Several times(几番)

Idioms

  • Three times and five occasions(三番五次)
  • Turn the tables(翻来覆去)
  • Repeatedly(几次三番)
  • Make a comeback(卷土重来)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used to refer to foreign peoples and lands, often with a connotation of 'barbarian' or 'other'.
  • In modern usage, it often appears in words for foreign-introduced items like tomatoes (番茄).
  • Used as a counter for occurrences or turns in classical and modern Chinese.

FAQ