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翻番 (fān fān) — to double; to increase by a multiple

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to double (and redouble)' — emphasizes multiplying by an integer (×2, ×3, …), more emphatic than 加倍, which often just means 'extra/doubly'. Common for output, GDP, and similar quantitative growth.

verb
to doubleto increase by a multiple

Examples

  • 翻番。
    Jīn nián gōng sī de chǎn liàng fān fān le.
    The company's output doubled this year.
  • 翻番。
    Tā xī wàng zì jǐ de shōu rù néng fān fān.
    He hopes his income can double.
  • GDP翻番。
    Zhè ge chéng shì de GDP zài wǔ nián nèi fān fān le.
    The city's GDP doubled within five years.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

翻fānturn
番fānfold

翻 means to turn or multiply, and 番 means a fold or time; together they mean to increase by a fold.

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
羽羽yǔwings
Sound part声符shēngfú
番
番fān翻fān
Same sound today

翻 pairs 羽 (wings) with 番, which gives the sound. The shape shows something fluttering.

Open 翻 →

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
田田tián
Sound part声符shēngfú
釆
釆biàn番fān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

番 is built from 釆 and 田: 釆 supplies a sound, and 田 is the meaning part, though the original sense is unclear.

Open 番 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Math

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