(fàn) - to deal in, to trade & a peddler, a vendor

Tone 4

fàn | 8 strokes | radical: 贝

· fàn

to deal in, to trade;

a peddler, a vendor;

a trafficker

to deal in, to tradea peddler, a vendora trafficker

Usage highlights

vendorto traffic, to sellpeddlerfishmongerdrug dealerhuman trafficker

Synonyms

  • merchant, businessperson
  • merchant (archaic)

Antonyms

  • to buy
  • to purchase

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is a street vendor (小贩).
  • They deal in antiques (贩卖古董).
  • The police arrested the drug trafficker (毒贩).
  • This is a newsstand (报贩).

Collocations

  • vendor(小贩)
  • to traffic, to sell(贩卖)
  • peddler(摊贩)
  • fishmonger(鱼贩)
  • drug dealer(毒贩)
  • human trafficker(人贩子)

Idioms

  • A peddler of official rank(贩夫走卒)
  • To buy low and sell high(贩贱卖贵)
  • To be a mere merchant(贩夫贩妇)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically associated with itinerant merchants and small-scale traders in Chinese market culture.
  • Often carries a neutral or slightly negative connotation compared to more formal merchants (商).
  • In modern usage, frequently appears in compound words referring to illegal trade (e.g., 毒贩, 人贩子).

FAQ