Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
非 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
非fēito not beHSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēiabbr. for 非洲[Fēi zhōu], AfricaHSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēinotHSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēiwrongHSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēiincorrectHSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēinon-HSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēiun-HSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēiin-HSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēito reproach or blameHSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēi(colloquial) to insist onHSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēisimply mustHSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēinot, negative, non-; to opposeHSK 7, h, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
非fēiabbr. for 非洲[Fei1 zhou1], AfricaHSK 7, unknown, 8 strokes, radical 非, rank #1430, Medium
fēi(fei1) T1
  1. 1to not be
  2. 2abbr. for 非洲[Fēi zhōu], Africa
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

非fēi(fei1)

The character 非 (fēi) primarily means 'not' or 'to be wrong.' It is often used to negate verbs or adjectives, indicating opposition or incorrectness. In various contexts, it can imply a strong disapproval or insistence on an alternative perspective.

Strokes8Radical非Frequency#1430DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

非 is often used in Chinese proverbs and sayings, emphasizing morality and correctness. For example, the phrase 非常 (fēicháng) meaning 'very' or 'extremely' reflects a cultural tendency to express intensity in a positive way.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large 'X' over a checkmark to signify 'not' or 'wrong.' The character 非 looks somewhat like a person standing with arms crossed in disapproval, emphasizing the idea of negation or opposition.

Meanings of 非

fēi(fei1)
1to not be
2abbr. for 非洲[Fēi zhōu], Africa
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 非

非Simplified
8Strokes
非Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#1430Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L7IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 非

JasonAmy

Podcast: 非

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 非

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a large 'X' over a checkmark to signify 'not' or 'wrong.' The character 非 looks somewhat like a person standing with arms crossed in disapproval, emphasizing the idea of negation or opposition.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 非 with its more formal counterpart 不是 (bù shì), which means 'is not.' While 非 can be used in colloquial contexts to express insistence, it may sound abrupt in formal settings. Pay attention to tone; using it incorrectly can change the meaning significantly.

HSK Study Tips

At HSK Level 5, it's beneficial to understand how 非 interacts with other negation forms like 没 (méi) and 不 (bù). Focus on practicing sentences that incorporate 非 to convey disagreement or rejection.

Cultural Note

非 is often used in Chinese proverbs and sayings, emphasizing morality and correctness. For example, the phrase 非常 (fēicháng) meaning 'very' or 'extremely' reflects a cultural tendency to express intensity in a positive way.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 非 with other negation words like 不 (bù) and 不是 (bù shì), leading to phrases like '这不是非' instead of the correct '这不是.' Remember that 非 is best used in specific contexts rather than general statements.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 非

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 非 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 非

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Pictograph of two wings facing opposite directions.

Memory Hint

Two bird's wings opposed; two people back-to-back

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 非?

Write 非

非

Practice writing 非 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 非

非 carries 13 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

她____常漂亮。

She is extremely beautiful.

Example Sentences for 非 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我非常乐意为他们答疑解惑。

wǒ fēi cháng lè yì wéi tā mén dá yí jiě huò。

I'll be only too pleased to help them out with any queries.
2
我觉得她不但长得非常漂亮，而且还有很多优秀品质。

wǒ jué dé tā bù dàn cháng dé fēi cháng piāo liàng， ， ér qiě huán yǒu hěn duō yōu xiù pǐn。

I think she has many good qualities besides being very beautiful.
3
我非常渴望能够帮助和照顾他人。

wǒ fēi cháng kě wàng néng gòu bāng zhù hé zhào gù tā rén。

I had a strong desire to help and care for people.
4
我的确非常喜欢这里宁静幽雅、不受打扰的氛围。

wǒ de què fēi cháng xǐ huān zhè lǐ níng jìng yōu yǎ、 、 bù shòu dǎ rǎo de fēn。

I do very much appreciate the quietness and privacy here.
5
非常感谢您的体贴入微，我真的无以言表。

fēi cháng gǎn xiè nín de tǐ tiē rù wēi， ， wǒ zhēn de wú yǐ yán。

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness.
6
我工作非常有效率，处事果断，而且判断准确。

wǒ gōng zuò fēi cháng yǒu xiào shuài， ， chǔ shì guǒ， duàn ， ér qiě pàn duàn。

I work very efficiently and am decisive, and accurate in my judgement.
7
我接触到一些非常聪明的哈佛和耶鲁的学生。

wǒ jiē chù dào yī xiē fēi cháng cōng míng de hā fó hé yé lǔ de xué shēng。

I came into contact with very bright Harvard and Yale students.
8
成功不是终点，失败也并非末日，最重要的是继续前进的勇气。

chéng gōng bù shì zhōng diǎn， ， shī bài yě bìng fēi mò， rì ， zuì zhòng yào de shì jì xù qián jìn de。

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.--Winston Churchill
9
对于这个决定的反应非常不一致。

duì yú zhè gè jué dìng de fǎn yīng fēi cháng bù yī zhì。

There has been a very mixed reaction to the decision.
10
因为正在使用很多昂贵的设备，所以我非常紧张。

yīn wéi zhèng zài shǐ yòng hěn duō áng guì de shè bèi， ， suǒ yǐ wǒ fēi cháng jǐn。

I get very nervous because I'm using a lot of expensive equipment.

Cultural Notes for 非

🏮Cultural insight

非 is often used in Chinese proverbs and sayings, emphasizing morality and correctness. For example, the phrase 非常 (fēicháng) meaning 'very' or 'extremely' reflects a cultural tendency to express intensity in a positive way.

Word Family of 非

Compounds49
罪zui4guilt
排pai2a row
靠kao4to lean against or on
啡fei1(phonetic component)
菲Fei1fragrant; rich, luxuriant; the Philippines
悲bei1sad
辈bei4contemporaries
匪fei3bandits, robbers, gangsters
斐Fei3graceful, elegant, beautiful
扉fei1door panel
诽fei3slander
徘pai2irresolute
绯fei1crimson, scarlet; purple
裴Pei2flowing gown; surname
腓fei2leg, calf; to wither, to decay
靡mi2to scatter, to disperse; to divide
蜚fei1cockroach
俳pai2actor; vaudeville show; insincere
翡fei3kingfisher; jade, emerald
鲱fei1herring
痱fei4heat rash; prickly heat; ulcers
悱fei3overcome with emotion; at a loss for words
輩bei4generation, lifetime; contemporary
剕
厞
奜
屝
棐
棑
毴
琲
輫
霏fei1rainfall, snowfall
馡
騑
婓
婔
暃
渄
猅
猆
緋fei1crimson, scarlet; purple
裵
裶
誹fei3to condemn, to slander, to vilify
陫
靟
餥
鯡fei1herring
Words Containing This Character20
非常fēichángvery
非fēinot
除非chúfēionly when
并非bìngfēireally isn't並非
非法fēifǎillegal
非洲Africa
是非shìfēiquarrel
非得fēiděi(followed by a verb phrase, then – optionally – 不可, or 不行 etc) must
非凡fēifánout of the ordinary
南非South Africa
非典SARS
莫非mòfēicould it be
无非wúfēionly無非
绝非absolutely not絕非
非正式unofficial
中非Central Africa
非但not only
非人inhuman
面目全非miànmùquánfēinothing remains the same (idiom); change beyond recognition
非线性nonlinear (math.)非線性
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 罪 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 非

Not always; while 非 means 'not,' it is more suitable for formal or literary contexts, whereas 不 (bù) is used in everyday conversation.