繁

See also: 緐

繁 U+7E41, 繁 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7E41 ← 繀 [U+7E40] CJK Unified Ideographs 繂 → [U+7E42]

繁 U+FA59, 繁 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-FA59 ← 縉 [U+FA58] CJK Compatibility Ideographs 署 → [U+FA5A]

Translingual

Han character

繁 (Kangxi radical 120, 糸+11 in Chinese, 糸+10 in Japanese, 17 strokes in Chinese, 16 strokes in Japanese, cangjie input 人大女戈火 (OKVIF), four-corner 8890₃, composition ⿱敏糸)

Derived characters

• 㩯, 瀿, 𩎆, 𬹬, 𬪤, 蘩

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 937, character 1
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 27803
• Dae Jaweon: page 1376, character 5
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3444, character 3
• Unihan data for U+7E41

• Unihan data for U+FA59

Chinese

trad.		繁
simp. #		繁
2nd round simp.		⿰纟凡
alternative forms		䋣 緐／繁 䌓 𦅳 𥿋 䋣 緐／繁 䌓 𦅳 𥿋 𦃍

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (緐) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
繁	*baːl, *baːn, *ban
緐	*ban
蘩	*ban
瀿	*ban
瀪	*bans

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *baːl, *baːn, *ban) : phonetic 敏 (OC *mrɯʔ, *mrɯŋʔ) + semantic 糸 (“silk”)

Etymology

The same word as 蕃 (OC *ban, “luxuriant; numerous”). See there for more.

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): fán (fan²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄈㄢˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): faan⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): fàn
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): hoân

  (Teochew, Peng'im): huang⁵ / huêng⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fán
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fán
    • Wade–Giles: fan²
    • Yale: fán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: farn
    • Palladius: фань (fanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fän³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: faan⁴
    • Yale: fàahn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: faan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: fan⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /faːn²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: fàn
    • Hakka Romanization System: fan^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: fan²
    • Sinological IPA: /fan¹¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hoân
    • Tâi-lô: huân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hoaan
    • IPA (Xiamen): /huan²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /huan²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /huan¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /huan²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /huan²³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: huang⁵ / huêng⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: huâng / huêng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /huaŋ⁵⁵/, /hueŋ⁵⁵/

Note:

• huang5 - Shantou;
• huêng5 - Chaozhou.

---

• Middle Chinese: bjon

Rime
Character	繁
Reading #	1/3
Initial (聲)	並 (3)
Final (韻)	元 (66)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	附袁切
Baxter	bjon
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/bʉɐn/
Pan Wuyun	/bʷiɐn/
Shao Rongfen	/biuɐn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/buan/
Li Rong	/biuɐn/
Wang Li	/bĭwɐn/
Bernhard Karlgren	/bʱi̯wɐn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	fán
Expected Cantonese Reflex	faan4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[b]ar/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ban/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	繁
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	fán
Middle Chinese	‹ bjon ›
Old Chinese	/*[b]ar/
English	abundant, numerous
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	繁
Reading #	3/3
No.	2951
Phonetic component	緐
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	煩
Old Chinese	/*ban/
Notes	說文作緐

Definitions

繁

1. numerous; many

   繁星  ―  fánxīng  ―  numerous stars

2. complicated

   繁體字／繁体字  ―  fántǐzì  ―  traditional Chinese characters

3. luxuriant; lush

   繁盛  ―  fánshèng  ―  thriving

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “complicated”): 簡／简 (jiǎn)

Compounds

• 人工繁殖
• 冗繁 (rǒngfán)
• 分株繁殖
• 刪繁就簡 / 删繁就简
• 化繁為簡 / 化繁为简 (huàfánwéijiǎn)
• 卷帙浩繁
• 多言繁稱 / 多言繁称
• 實繁有徒 / 实繁有徒
• 急竹繁絲 / 急竹繁丝
• 急管繁絃 / 急管繁弦
• 意謂繁句 / 意谓繁句
• 旌繁
• 春秋繁露
• 有性繁殖
• 枝繁葉茂 / 枝繁叶茂 (zhīfányèmào)
• 根蘗繁殖
• 浩繁 (hàofán)
• 演繁露
• 生齒日繁 / 生齿日繁 (shēngchǐrìfán)
• 紛繁 / 纷繁 (fēnfán)
• 繁冗 (fánrǒng)
• 繁分數 / 繁分数
• 繁刑重斂 / 繁刑重敛
• 繁刑重賦 / 繁刑重赋
• 繁劇 / 繁剧
• 繁博
• 繁句
• 繁囂 / 繁嚣
• 繁多 (fánduō)
• 繁密 (fánmì)
• 繁富 (fánfù)
• 繁弦急管
• 繁弱
• 繁忙 (fánmáng)
• 繁文末節 / 繁文末节
• 繁文縟禮 / 繁文缛礼
• 繁文縟節 / 繁文缛节
• 繁昌 (fánchāng)
• 繁星 (fánxīng)
• 繁暑
• 繁有徒
• 繁榮 / 繁荣 (fánróng)
• 繁榮富強 / 繁荣富强
• 繁榮昌盛 / 繁荣昌盛
• 繁殖 (fánzhí)
• 繁瑣 / 繁琐 (fánsuǒ)
• 繁盛 (fánshèng)
• 繁禮多儀 / 繁礼多仪
• 繁細 / 繁细 (fánxì)
• 繁絲急管 / 繁丝急管
• 繁縟 / 繁缛
• 繁纓 / 繁缨
• 繁缺
• 繁育 (fányù)
• 繁臺 / 繁台
• 繁花錦簇 / 繁花锦簇
• 繁茂 (fánmào)
• 繁華 / 繁华 (fánhuá)
• 繁華世界 / 繁华世界
• 繁華損枝 / 繁华损枝
• 繁蕪 / 繁芜
• 繁衍 (fányǎn)
• 繁複 / 繁复 (fánfù)
• 繁言吝嗇 / 繁言吝啬
• 繁賾 / 繁赜
• 繁重 (fánzhòng)
• 繁雜 / 繁杂 (fánzá)
• 繁難 / 繁难 (fánnán)
• 繁露
• 繁體 / 繁体 (fántǐ)
• 繁體字 / 繁体字 (fántǐzì)
• 繁麗 / 繁丽
• 舉要治繁 / 举要治繁
• 芟繁就簡 / 芟繁就简
• 葉塊繁殖 / 叶块繁殖
• 豐繁 / 丰繁 (fēngfán)
• 頻繁 / 频繁 (pínfán)
• 食指浩繁

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (繁):

• → Japanese: 繁(はん) (han)
• → Korean: 번(繁) (beon)
• → Vietnamese: phồn (繁)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): pó (po²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄆㄛˊ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: pó
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄛˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: pó
    • Wade–Giles: pʻo²
    • Yale: pwó
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: por
    • Palladius: по (po)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰu̯ɔ³⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: ba

Rime
Character	繁
Reading #	3/3
Initial (聲)	並 (3)
Final (韻)	戈 (95)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	薄波切
Baxter	ba
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/buɑ/
Pan Wuyun	/buɑ/
Shao Rongfen	/buɑ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/bwa/
Li Rong	/buɑ/
Wang Li	/buɑ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/bʱuɑ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	pó
Expected Cantonese Reflex	po4

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*baːl/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	繁
Reading #	1/3
No.	2945
Phonetic component	緐
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	婆
Old Chinese	/*baːl/
Notes	見爾雅

Definitions

繁

1. Alternative form of 皤 (pó, “white”)
2. a surname
3. Only used in 繁塔 and 繁台

Pronunciation 3

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): pán (pan²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄆㄢˊ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: pán
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: pán
    • Wade–Giles: pʻan²
    • Yale: pán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: parn
    • Palladius: пань (panʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰän³⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: ban

Rime
Character	繁
Reading #	2/3
Initial (聲)	並 (3)
Final (韻)	桓 (62)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	薄官切
Baxter	ban
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/buɑn/
Pan Wuyun	/bʷɑn/
Shao Rongfen	/buɑn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/bwan/
Li Rong	/buɑn/
Wang Li	/buɑn/
Bernhard Karlgren	/bʱuɑn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	pán
Expected Cantonese Reflex	pun4

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*baːn/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	繁
Reading #	2/3
No.	2946
Phonetic component	緐
Rime group	元
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	槃
Old Chinese	/*baːn/

Definitions

繁

1. Alternative form of 鞶 (pán)

Pronunciation 4

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mǐn (min³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄣˇ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mǐn
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄣˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mǐn
    • Wade–Giles: min³
    • Yale: mǐn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: miin
    • Palladius: минь (minʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /min²¹⁴/

Definitions

繁

1. Alternative form of 敏 (mǐn)
2. Used in 繁鳥／繁鸟.

Japanese

Shinjitai	繁
Kyūjitai	繁 繁 or 繁+︀?
	繁󠄁 繁+󠄁? (Adobe-Japan1)
	繁󠄃 繁+󠄃? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

繁

(Jōyō kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 繁)

Readings

• Go-on: ばん (ban)^{←ばん (ban, historical)}、ぼん (bon)^{←ぼん (bon, historical)}
• Kan-on: はん (han, Jōyō)^{←はん (fan, historical)}
• Kun: しげる (shigeru, 繁る)、しげし (shigeshi, 繁し)
• Nanori: えだ (eda)、しげ (shige)、しげる (shigeru)、とし (toshi)

Compounds

Compounds

• 繁(しじ)根(ね) (shijine)
• 繁吹(しぶ)く (shibuku)
• 繁桟(こみざん) (komizan)
• 繁縷(ハコベ) (hakobe), 繁縷(はこべら) (hakobera)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
繁
はん Grade: S
kan'on

Alternative spelling
繁 (kyūjitai)

From Middle Chinese 繁 (MC bjon).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) はん [háꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [hã̠ɴ]

Affix

繁(はん) • (han) ^{←はん (fan)?}

1. flourishing, luxuriant, heavy or dense (of foliage)
2. rich, prosperous
3. rhythm, regularity
4. complication, difficulty
5. cumbersome, troublesome

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 繁(はん)委(い) (han'i)
• 繁(はん)蔚(い) (han'i)
• 繁(はん)育(いく) (han'iku) (蕃(はん)育(いく))
• 繁(はん)陰(いん) (han'in)
• 繁(はん)蔚(うつ) (han'utsu)
• 繁(はん)雲(うん) (han'un)
• 繁(はん)英(えい) (han'ei)
• 繁(はん)栄(えい) (han'ei)
• 繁(はん)纓(えい) (han'ei)
• 繁(はん)翳(えい) (han'ei)
• 繁(はん)衍(えん) (han'en)
• 繁(はん)音(おん) (han'on)
• 繁(はん)柯(か) (hanka)
• 繁(はん)科(か) (hanka)
• 繁(はん)苛(か) (hanka)
• 繁(はん)夥(か) (hanka)
• 繁(はん)華(か) (hanka)
• 繁(はん)会(かい) (hankai)
• 繁(はん)簡(かん) (hankan) (煩(はん)簡(かん))
• 繁(はん)翰(かん) (hankan)
• 繁(はん)詭(き) (hanki)
• 繁(はん)刑(けい) (hankei)
• 繁(はん)劇(げき) (hangeki) (煩(はん)劇(げき))
• 繁(はん)絃(げん) (hangen)
• 繁(はん)言(げん) (hangen)
• 繁(はん)減(げん) (hangen)
• 繁(はん)興(こう) (hankō)
• 繁(はん)瑣(さ) (hansa)
• 繁(はん)砕(さい) (hansai)
• 繁(はん)采(さい) (hansai)
• 繁(はん)細(さい) (hansai) (煩(はん)細(さい))
• 繁(はん)錯(さく) (hansaku)
• 繁(はん)雑(ざつ) (hanzatsu) (煩(はん)雑(ざつ))
• 繁(はん)侈(し) (hanshi)
• 繁(はん)枝(し) (hanshi)
• 繁(はん)祉(し) (hanshi)
• 繁(はん)姿(し) (hanshi)
• 繁(はん)詞(し) (hanshi)
• 繁(はん)熾(し) (hanshi)
• 繁(はん)滋(じ) (hanji)
• 繁(はん)辞(じ) (hanji) (煩(はん)辞(じ))
• 繁(はん)庶(しょ) (hansho)
• 繁(はん)暑(しょ) (hansho)
• 繁(はん)冗(じょう) (hanjō) (煩(はん)冗(じょう))
• 繁(はん)条(じょう) (hanjō)
• 繁(はん)盛(じょう), 繁(はん)昌(じょう) (hanjō)
• 繁(はん)擾(じょう) (hanjō)
• 繁(はん)穠(じょう) (hanjō)
• 繁(はん)殖(しょく) (hanshoku)
• 繁(はん)飾(しょく) (hanshoku)
• 繁(はん)縟(じょく) (hanjoku) (煩(はん)縟(じょく))
• 繁(はん)声(せい) (hansei)
• 繁(はん)省(せい) (hansei)
• 繁(はん)盛(せい) (hansei)
• 繁(はん)説(せつ) (hansetsu)
• 繁(はん)節(せつ) (hansetsu)
• 繁(はん)戦(せん) (hansen)
• 繁(はん)然(ぜん) (hanzen)
• 繁(はん)湊(そう) (hansō)
• 繁(はん)霜(そう) (hansō)
• 繁(はん)息(そく) (hansoku)
• 繁(はん)多(た) (hanta) (煩(はん)多(た))
• 繁(はん)沢(たく) (hantaku)
• 繁(はん)稠(ちゅう) (hanchū)
• 繁(はん)農(のう) (hannō)
• 繁(はん)葩(ぱ) (hanpa)
• 繁(はん)費(ぴ) (hanpi)
• 繁(はん)蕪(ぶ) (hanbu)
• 繁(はん)廡(ぶ) (hanbu)
• 繁(はん)誣(ぷ) (hanpu)
• 繁(はん)阜(ぷ) (hanpu)
• 繁(はん)富(ぷ) (hanpu)
• 繁(はん)文(ぶん) (hanbun) (煩(はん)文(ぶん))
• 繁(はん)分(ぶん)数(すう) (hanbunsū)
• 繁(はん)紊(ぼう) (hanbō)
• 繁(はん)忙(ぼう) (hanbō)
• 繁(はん)法(ぼう) (hanbō)
• 繁(はん)木(ぼく) (hanboku)
• 繁(はん)漫(まん) (hanman)
• 繁(はん)密(みつ) (hanmitsu)
• 繁(はん)務(む) (hanmu)
• 繁(はん)茂(も) (hanmo)
• 繁(はん)約(やく) (han'yaku)
• 繁(はん)憂(ゆう) (han'yū)
• 繁(はん)用(よう) (han'yō)
• 繁(はん)乱(らん) (hanran) (煩(はん)乱(らん))
• 繁(はん)慮(りょ) (hanryo)
• 繁(はん)林(りん) (hanrin)
• 繁(はん)礼(れい) (hanrei) (煩(はん)礼(れい))
• 繁(はん)麗(れい) (hanrei)
• 繁(はん)露(ろ) (hanro)
• 繁(はん)猥(わい) (hanwai)
• 陰繁
• 華(か)繁(はん) (kahan)
• 楽(がく)繁(はん) (gakuhan)
• 劇(げき)繁(はん) (gekihan)
• 喧繁
• 言繁
• 弦繁
• 獄(ごく)繁(はん) (gokuhan)
• 最(さい)繁(はん)時(じ) (saihanji)
• 事(じ)繁(はん) (jihan)
• 滋(じ)繁(はん) (jihan)
• 庶(しょ)繁(はん) (shohan)
• 昌繁
• 穠(じょう)繁(はん) (jōhan)
• 世繁
• 声(せい)繁(はん) (seihan)
• 旌(せい)繁(はん) (seihan)
• 農(のう)繁(はん) (nōhan)
• 頻(ひん)繁(ぱん) (hinpan)
• 物繁
• 文繁
• 礼(れい)繁(はん) (reihan)
• 労(ろう)繁(はん) (rōhan)

Noun

繁(はん) • (han) ^{←はん (fan)?}

1. a flourish, luxuriance

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
繁
しげ Grade: S
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
繁 (kyūjitai)

⟨sige₂⟩ → */siᵑɡəɨ/ → /ɕiɡe/

From Old Japanese.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɕiɡe̞]

Noun

繁(しげ) • (shige) ^{←しげ (sige)?}

1. (archaic, obsolete) a copse, thicket
2. (archaic, obsolete) a repeat, frequency

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 繁(しげ)繁(しげ) (shigeshige)
• 繁(しげ)い (shigei)
• 茂(しげ)み (shigemi)
• 茂(しげ)る (shigeru)
• 繁(しげ)金(かな)物(もの) (shigekanamono)
• 繁(しげ)繁(しげ)し (shigeshigeshi)
• 繁(しげ)太(た) (Shigeta)
• 繁(しげ)垂(だる)木(き) (shigedaruki)
• 繁(しげ)縫(ぬ)い (shigenui)
• 繁(しげ)菱(びし) (shigebishi)
• 繁(しげ)骨(ぼね) (shigebone)
• 繁(しげ)目(め)結(ゆ)い (shigemeyui)
• 繁(しげ)文(もん) (shigemon)
• 繁(しげ)山(やま) (shigeyama)
• 事(こと)繁(しげ) (kotoshige)
• 縦(たて)繁(しげ) (tateshige)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
繁
しげ(る) Grade: S
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
繁 (kyūjitai)

Nominalization of verb 茂る (shigeru, “to grow thick, be luxuriant”).

Proper noun

繁(しげる) • (Shigeru) 

1. a male given name

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 繁 (MC bjon|ban|ba).

Hanja

繁 (eumhun 번성할 번 (beonseonghal beon))

1. hanja form^? of 번 (“complicated, complex, difficult”)
2. hanja form^? of 번 (“thicket, foliage”)
3. hanja form^? of 번 (“luxurious, lush, flourishing”)

繁 (eumhun 뱃대끈 반 (baetdaekkeun ban))

1. hanja form^? of 반 (“cinch, saddle girth, sash”)

繁 (eumhun 흴 파 (huil pa))

1. hanja form^? of 파 (“white”)

Old Japanese

Etymology 1

Noun

繁 (sige₂) (kana しげ)

1. a copse, thicket

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 繁し (sige₂si, adjective)
• 茂み (sige₂mi₁, noun)
• 茂る (sige₂ru, verb)
• 繁道 (sige₂di)
• 繁山 (sige₂yama)

Descendants

• Japanese: 繁 (shige)

Etymology 2

Noun

繁 (sizi) (kana しじ)

1. flourish, luxuriance, overgrowth
2. large in quantity, tight pack

Derived terms

• 繁に (sizi ni)
• 繁貫く (sizinuku)

Descendants

• Japanese: 繁根 (shijine)

Vietnamese

Han character

繁: Hán Nôm readings: phồn, phiền

1. many; numerous