粉丝

粉絲
fěnsī
noun HSK 7-9 #2,430

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 fans (of a celebrity, team, etc.)
  2. 2 followers
  3. 3 glass noodles; bean thread noodles

Characters

Originally refers to glass noodles (thin translucent noodles). The 'fan' meaning is a phonetic borrowing from English 'fans'.

Examples

HSK 1
Fěnsī men zài jīchǎng děng tā.
The fans were waiting for him at the airport.
HSK 2
Tā yǒu jǐ bǎiwàn fěnsī.
She has millions of fans.

Tips

usage
粉丝 has two completely different meanings: (1) fans/followers (from English 'fans'), extremely common online and in entertainment media, and (2) glass noodles, a traditional food item. Context makes the meaning clear.
memory
粉丝 sounds like 'fans' in English - that's exactly where the slang meaning comes from.

Stroke Order

fěn