蕃茄 (fān qié) — tomato (variant form of 番茄)

Definition

Same meaning as 番茄 (fānqié): 'tomato'. 蕃 is just an alternative written form of 番; the everyday spoken and written word is 番茄.

noun

tomato (variant form of 番茄)

Measure word · 个

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

茄qiéeggplant-like plant

蕃 suggests foreign, and 茄 names an eggplant-like plant, together referring to the introduced tomato.

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

艸艸cǎograss

Sound part声符shēngfú

番

Same sound today

蕃 puts 艸 (grass) above 番, which gives the sound.

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

艹加茄

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

加

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 茄, the top 艹 marks a plant, and the lower 加 gives the sound.

Appears in