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菲 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
菲fēifragrant; rich, luxuriant; the Philippinesns, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fēipoorunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fēirich with fragranceunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fēihumbleunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fēiphenanthrene C14H10unknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fēiunworthyunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fēiradish (old)unknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fēiabbr. for the Philippines 菲律賓|菲律宾[Fei1 lu:4 bin1]unknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fěifragrant; rich, luxuriant; the Philippinesns, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fěipoorunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fěirich with fragranceunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fěihumbleunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fěiphenanthrene C14H10unknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fěiunworthyunknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fěiradish (old)unknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
菲fěiabbr. for the Philippines 菲律賓|菲律宾[Fei1 lu:4 bin1]unknown, 11 strokes, radical 艹, rank #3988, Hard
fēi(Fei1)fei
primary
 T1
  1. 1fragrant; rich, luxuriant; the Philippines
  2. 2poor
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March 24, 2026

菲fēi(Fei1)

The character 菲 (fēi) primarily means 'fragrant' or 'luxuriant,' often used to describe pleasant scents or lush vegetation. It can also refer to something humble or unworthy, which adds a layer of nuance to its usage. In a geographical context, it is an abbreviation for the Philippines.

Strokes11Radical艹Frequency#3988DifficultyHard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, fragrant flowers and lush vegetation are often associated with beauty and abundance, making 菲 a positive term in many contexts. It may also appear in poetry and literature to evoke rich imagery.

Memory tip

Imagine a fragrant flower (菲) with petals that are rich in color, symbolizing lushness and beauty. The character looks like a flower blooming, reminding you of its association with fragrance. The pronunciation 'fēi' can be remembered as the sound of a gentle breeze carrying the scent of this flower.

Meanings of 菲

fēi(Fei1)
primary
1fragrant; rich, luxuriant; the Philippines
2poor
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 菲

菲Simplified
11Strokes
艹Radical
地名míngcíplace name (p.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 菲

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Podcast: 菲

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AI study notes for 菲

Usage Notes

Be cautious when using 菲 in formal contexts, as it can carry connotations of humility or unworthiness. Common collocations include phrases associated with fragrance or lushness. Additionally, ensure you use the correct tone; mispronouncing it as 'fei' (without the tone) can change the meaning completely.

HSK Study Tips

菲 is not included in the standard HSK levels, but it connects well with vocabulary related to nature and beauty. Focus on understanding its various meanings and usage in different contexts, especially in descriptive language.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 菲 with similar-sounding words, leading to incorrect meanings. For example, saying 'fei' instead of 'fēi' can change the meaning entirely, so always remember to use the correct tone.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 菲

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Etymology of 菲

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 非 represents the sound.

Memory hint

grass

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)非
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

菲 = 艹 + 非. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 菲

IDS Structure⿱艹非
菲Full character
=
艹cao3
top
非Fei1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 菲?

How to say fragrant; rich, luxuriant; the Philippines in Chinese

“fragrant; rich, luxuriant; the Philippines” in Chinese is菲fēi

The character 菲 (fēi) primarily means 'fragrant' or 'luxuriant,' often used to describe pleasant scents or lush vegetation. It can also refer to something humble or unworthy, which adds a layer of nuance to its usage. In a geographical context, it is an abbreviation for the Philippines.

When to use 菲

Be cautious when using 菲 in formal contexts, as it can carry connotations of humility or unworthiness. Common collocations include phrases associated with fragrance or lushness. Additionally, ensure you use the correct tone; mispronouncing it as 'fei' (without the tone) can change the meaning completely.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 菲 with similar-sounding words, leading to incorrect meanings. For example, saying 'fei' instead of 'fēi' can change the meaning entirely, so always remember to use the correct tone.

Write 菲

菲

Practice writing 菲 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar patterns of 菲

菲 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

这里是吉姆·____什在贝尔格莱德发来的关于事件进展的报道。

With a report on these developments, here's Jim Fish in Belgrade.

Example sentences for 菲 (16)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
这里是吉姆·菲什在贝尔格莱德发来的关于事件进展的报道。

zhèlǐ shì jí mǔ· fēi shén zài bèi ěr gé lái dé fā lái de guānyú shìjiàn jìnzhǎn de bàodào。

With a report on these developments, here's Jim Fish in Belgrade.
2
菲律宾只剩下6,000平方公里的森林了。

fēi Lǜ bīn zhī shèngxià6,000 píngfāng gōnglǐ de sēnlín le。

The Philippines has just 6,000 square kilometres of forest left.
3
经过5小时41分钟的较量，菲舍尔获得了胜利。

jīngguò5 xiǎoshí41 fēnzhōng de jiàoliàng， fēi shě ěr huòdé le shènglì。

Fischer won after 5 hours and 41 minutes of play.
4
这名重量级拳击冠军将尝试挑战霍利菲尔德的世界冠军头衔。

zhè míng zhòngliàngjí quánjī guànjūn jiāng chángshì tiǎozhàn huò lì fēi ěr dé de shìjiè guànjūn tóuxián。

The heavyweight champion will be given a shot at Holyfield's world title.
5
创作这本书的想法来源于跟菲莉帕·布鲁斯特的谈话。

chuàngzuò zhè běn shū de xiǎngfǎ láiyuányú gēn fēi lì pà· bù Lǔ Sī tè de tánhuà。

The idea for this book grew out of conversations with Philippa Brewster.
6
他在谢菲尔德大学的课程要到明年才能继续。

tā zài xiè fēi ěr dé dàxué de kèchéng yào dào míngnián cáinéng jìxù。

His course at Sheffield University will not recommence until next year.
7
让－菲利普在20世纪60年代曾搭便车游遍欧洲。

ràng－ fēi lì pǔ zài20 shìjì60 niándài céng dā biàn chē yóu biàn ōuzhōu。

Jean-Phillippe had hitched all over Europe in the 1960s.
8
同时，达斯蒂·斯普林菲尔德的电视剧新作开始在BBC1台播放。

tóngshí， dá Sī dì· Sī pǔ lín fēi ěr dé de diànshìjù xīn zuō kāishǐ zàiBBC1 tái bōfàng。

Meanwhile, Dusty Springfield's new TV series began a run on BBC
9
我最喜欢迈克尔·菲什。他滑稽逗趣，是个实实在在的人物。

wǒ zuì xǐhuan mài kè ěr· fēi shén。 tā huájī dòu qù， shì gè shí shízài zài de rénwù。

Michael Fish is my favourite. He's a hoot, a real character.
10
墨菲的口气像个孩子。

mò fēi de kǒuqì xiàng gè háizi。

Murphy sounds like a child.
11
这个花园的花很美，闻起来非常香，像是有一种菲的味道。

Zhège huāyuán de huā hěn měi, wén qǐlái fēicháng xiāng, xiàng shì yǒu yī zhǒng fēi de wèidào.

The flowers in this garden are beautiful and smell very fragrant, like they have a rich scent.
12
我有一个朋友住在菲律宾。

Wǒ yǒu yī gè péngyǒu zhù zài Fēilǜbīn.

I have a friend who lives in the Philippines.
13
这道菜用很多香料，味道很菲。

Zhè dào cài yòng hěn duō xiāngliào, wèidào hěn fēi.

This dish uses a lot of spices and tastes very fragrant.
14
菲律宾的海滩非常美丽。

Fēilǜbīn de hǎitān fēicháng měilì.

The beaches in the Philippines are very beautiful.
15
这个花园里的花都很菲，香气扑鼻。

Zhège huāyuán lǐ de huā dōu hěn fēi, xiāngqì pūbí.

The flowers in this garden are very fragrant, with a rich aroma.
16
她去过菲律宾，说那里的海滩特别美。

Tā qùguò Fēilǜbīn, shuō nàlǐ de hǎitān tèbié měi.

She has been to the Philippines and said the beaches there are particularly beautiful.

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Word Family of 菲

Words containing this character14
菲fēipoor
菲律宾the Philippines菲律賓
王菲Faye Wong (1969-), Hong Kong pop star and actress
不菲considerable (cost etc)
苏菲Sophie (name)蘇菲
孟菲斯Memphis (Egypt or Tennessee)
拉姆斯菲尔德Donald Rumsfeld (1932-), former US Secretary of Defense拉姆斯菲爾德
卡扎菲(Colonel Muammar) Gaddafi (1942-2011), de facto leader of Libya from 1969-2011
索菲亚Sofia (capital of Bulgaria)索菲亞
达菲oseltamivir達菲
洛克菲勒Rockefeller
菲菲very fragrant
菲尼克斯Phoenix, capital of Arizona
菲亚特Fiat菲亞特
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 菲

What does 菲律宾 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 菲

In this context, 菲 is an abbreviation for 菲律宾 (Fēi lǜ bīn), which is the standard term for the Philippines.

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