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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)
primary
 T1
  1. 1fragrant; rich, luxuriant; the Philippines
  2. 2poor
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
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

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 菲

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

Podcast: 菲

JasonAmy

Podcast: 菲

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 菲

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

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half非 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygrass
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 菲? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 菲?

Decomposition of 菲

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

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component 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

Complete the Sentence

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 (10)

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。

zhè lǐ shì jí mǔ· · fēi shí zài bèi ěr gé lái dé fā lái de guān yú shì jiàn jìn zhǎn de bào。

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 shèng xià6,000 6,000 píng fāng gōng lǐ de sēn lín。

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。

jīng guò5 5 xiǎo41 shí 41 fēn zhōng de， jiào liáng ， fēi shě ěr huò dé。

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 zhòng liáng jí quán jī guān jūn jiāng cháng shì tiāo zhàn huò lì fēi ěr dé de shì jiè guān jūn tóu xián。

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。

chuàng zuò zhè běn shū de xiǎng fǎ lái yuán yú gēn fēi lì pà· · bù lǔ sī tè de tán。

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 dà xué de kè chéng yào dào míng nián cái néng jì xù。

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 pǔ20 zài 2060 shì jì 60 nián dài zēng dā biàn chē yóu。

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。

tóng shí， ， dá sī· dì · sī pǔ lín fēi ěr dé de diàn shì jù xīn zuò kāiBBC1 shǐ zài BBC1。

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 xǐ huān mài kè ěr· · fēi。 shí 。 tā huá jī， dòu qù ， shì gè shí shí zài zài。

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 kǒu qì xiàng gè hái zǐ。

Murphy sounds like a child.

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

Compound Meaning

What does 菲 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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