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粉丝 (fěn sī) — mung bean vermicelli, cellophane noodles; fan, enthusiast (loanword from 'fans')

Definition

粉丝 has two unrelated senses: 'mung bean vermicelli' (a thin noodle, like 粉) and 'fan/enthusiast'. For 'fan', 球迷 is a sports-specific compound; 迷 emphasizes being obsessed with an activity.

noun
mung bean vermicellicellophane noodlesfanenthusiast (loanword from 'fans')
Measure word · 把

Examples

  • 粉丝。
    Zhè jiā diàn de suān là fěn sī zuò dé fēi cháng hǎo.
    The hot-and-sour vermicelli at this restaurant is very well made.
  • 粉丝，。
    Tā shì yí wèi zhōng shí fěn sī, měi chǎng yǎn chàng huì dōu qù.
    He is a loyal fan and goes to every concert.
  • 粉丝。
    Tā de fěn sī shù liàng yǐ jīng chāo guò yì qiān wàn.
    Her fan base has already exceeded ten million.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
分
分fēn粉fěn
Same sound today

粉 pairs 米 (rice) with 分 for its sound. The rice part points to face powder made from rice.

Open 粉 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絲; 丝 is its simplified writing.

  • 糸糸mì
  • 糸糸mì

In the traditional form 絲, the shape is two 糸 written together; this is about 絲, not the simplified 丝.

Open 丝 →
Appears in
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