Meanings of 費
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About 費
Podcast: 費
Podcast: 費
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AI Study Notes for 費
花 (huā) vs 支出 (zhīchū) — use 費 (fèi) when emphasizing costs or fees specifically, while 花 (huā) focuses on the act of spending, and 支出 (zhīchū) refers more broadly to expenditures without the nuance of wastefulness.
Common mistakes include confusing 費 with similar-sounding words like 匪 (fěi), which means bandit. This character is mostly used in formal contexts, such as finance or budgeting. Be cautious with the tone; the second tone (fèi) should be pronounced clearly to avoid miscommunication.
Although 費 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects with other financial terms. Students at this level should focus on learning related words like 费用 (yòng), meaning expenses, to build context in financial discussions.
Learners often confuse 費 with the character for waste (浪费, làngfèi), leading to incorrect sentences like '我没有浪费很多费用' (I didn't waste a lot of expenses), which should be '我没有花很多费用' (I didn't spend a lot of expenses).
Pronunciation of 費
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Etymology of 費
Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 弗 represents the sound. Simplified form of 費.
money
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 費
Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 弗 represents the sound. Simplified form of 費.
- 1The meaning half貝 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half弗 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawaymoney
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 費? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
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Decomposition of 費
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How to say expenses, fees; to cost, to spend; wasteful in Chinese
“expenses, fees; to cost, to spend; wasteful” in Chinese is費
The character 費 (fèi) refers to expenses or fees, often indicating a cost incurred for services or goods. It can also imply spending in a broader sense and carries a nuance of wastefulness when used in certain contexts, suggesting a lack of efficiency or unnecessary expenditure.
When to use 費
Common mistakes include confusing 費 with similar-sounding words like 匪 (fěi), which means bandit. This character is mostly used in formal contexts, such as finance or budgeting. Be cautious with the tone; the second tone (fèi) should be pronounced clearly to avoid miscommunication.
費 or something close to it
花 (huā) vs 支出 (zhīchū) — use 費 (fèi) when emphasizing costs or fees specifically, while 花 (huā) focuses on the act of spending, and 支出 (zhīchū) refers more broadly to expenditures without the nuance of wastefulness.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 費 with the character for waste (浪费, làngfèi), leading to incorrect sentences like '我没有浪费很多费用' (I didn't waste a lot of expenses), which should be '我没有花很多费用' (I didn't spend a lot of expenses).
Write 費
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Word Family of 費
Compound Meaning
What does 浪费 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 費
Some common phrases include 费用 (yòngfèi), which means expenses, and 学费 (xuéfèi), meaning tuition fees.
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