番茄
fān qié · HSK 6
tomato
🍅 番 = foreign + 茄 = eggplant; the 'foreign eggplant' from the Americas
番 marks things imported from abroad (cf. 番薯 sweet potato, 番椒 chili). 茄 originally meant eggplant. Tomatoes reached China via foreign traders, hence 'foreign eggplant'. Sounds: fān qié — 'fan' + 'chyeh'.
番 — 釆 (animal tracks) on top + 田 (field) below
Originally a pictograph showing animal paw prints (釆) in a field (田), depicting tracks left by beasts. The early meaning related to taking turns or sequences, as tracks come one after another. It later extended to 'foreign' or 'barbarian,' and is now used as a measure word for occurrences or to mean 'number/turn.'