HSK · Level 62
105 words
Chinese word
番
Pronunciation
Pinyinfān
Meaning
- measure wordwhile
Example
他笑了一番，才走开。tā xiào le yì fān cái zǒu kāi
He laughed for a while and only then walked away.
More examples
他们为了那件小事吵了一番架，气氛很尴尬。tā men wèi le nà jiàn xiǎo shì chǎo le yì fān jià qì fēn hěn gān gà
They argued over that small matter for a while, and the atmosphere was very awkward.
Core concept
A single round of an activity, viewed as a bounded stretch of doing it rather than as a count of objects.
Common phrases
吵了一番架chǎo le yì fān jià
argue for a while
骂了一番mà le yì fān
scold for a while
Similar words
次cì: A measure word that counts an occurrence and can show its place in a sequence.
回huí: A measure word that counts the number of times an action or event takes place.
趟tàng: A measure word that counts one complete outing or journey.
Definition in Chinese
作为量词，用来表示经历或体验过一次某种动作或情态，通常带有完成或尝试的意味，常与“了”连用；例：他笑了一番，才走开。zuò wéi liàng cí yòng lái biǎo shì jīng lì huò tǐ yàn guò yí cì móu zhǒng dòng zuò huò qíng tài tōng cháng dài yǒu wán chéng huò cháng shì de yì wèi cháng yǔ le lián yòng lì tā xiào le yì fān cái zǒu kāi
Word origin
番 (fān, "turn; round") first referred to taking a turn or completing a cycle, and this sense extended to one completed bout of an activity.
Usage tips
- In conversation, this measure word often accompanies expressive or effortful actions, framing them as distinct episodes instead of simple repeated acts.
Related words
- 轮番lún fāntake turnsverb