藩 (fān): fence; hedge

Meanings

1 fence; hedge
2 screen; barrier
3 vassal state; fief

Characters

藩

fān

fence; hedge; vassal state

Examples

古代诸侯各守其藩。

Gǔdài zhūhóu gè shǒu qí fān.

In ancient times, each feudal lord guarded his own domain.

日本历史上有很多藩国。

Rìběn lìshǐ shàng yǒu hěnduō fān guó.

There were many feudal domains in Japanese history.

Tips

history

In Chinese history, 藩 referred to border regions ruled by vassal lords (藩王/藩镇). The term is also used for Japanese feudal domains (藩/han), as Japan borrowed the Chinese concept. 削藩 (abolishing vassal states) was a major political theme across Chinese dynasties.

Components

radical

艹 cǎo

grass; plant (top radical)

Top grass radical in its compressed three-stroke form, the indexing radical. Originally 藩 referred to a hedge or fence made of woven plants — a vegetal screen marking the boundary of a feudal lord's lands. From that came the modern senses of frontier and vassal state.

phonetic

潘 pān

rice-water; surname (here phonetic)

Bottom 潘 supplies the sound — pān drifting to fān through the classic p/f alternation in old Chinese readings. 潘 itself is a common surname and originally named the milky water from washed rice. Pure phonetic role here; meaning sits entirely with the grass radical.