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肥 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
肥
féi
fat
HSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #2505, Hard
肥
féi
fertile
HSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #2505, Hard
肥
féi
loose-fitting or large
HSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #2505, Hard
肥
féi
to fertilize
HSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #2505, Hard
肥
féi
to become rich by illegal means
HSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #2505, Hard
肥
féi
fertilizer
HSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #2505, Hard
肥
féi
manure
HSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #2505, Hard
肥
féi
fat, plump, obese; fertile
HSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #2505, Hard
féi(fei2)fei T2
1fat
2fertile
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March 24, 2026
肥féi(fei2)
The character 肥 (féi) primarily translates to 'fat' or 'plump.' It is used in various contexts, including describing body types, food, and even agricultural fertility. The word can also imply richness or abundance, often related to wealth or prosperity, as well as referring to fertilizers in farming.
Strokes8Radical⺼Frequency#2505DifficultyHard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, being '肥' can carry different connotations than in the West. While obesity is often viewed negatively in many Western cultures, in some Chinese contexts, a plump figure can symbolize prosperity and good fortune.
Memory tip
Imagine a plump pig sitting in a field of lush crops, representing both 'fat' and 'fertile.' The character 肥 has the radical 肉 (ròu), meaning 'meat,' which can help you remember that it relates to being plump or fat, while the sound 'féi' can be associated with a 'fancy feast' for such a pig.
Meanings of 肥
féi(fei2)
1fat
2fertile
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 肥
肥Simplified
8Strokes
⺼Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#2505Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1
Podcast: 肥
Podcast: 肥
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AI study notes for 肥
Quick Contrast
胖 (pàng) - use 肥 (féi) when referring to fatness in a more neutral or positive context, such as in agriculture or food richness, while 胖 (pàng) is often more directly associated with body size and can carry a negative connotation.
Usage Notes
Learners may confuse 肥 with 胖 (pàng), which also means 'fat' but is more commonly used for describing people. This term is generally informal, so be cautious using it in a formal context. Common collocations include 肥肉 (fatty meat) and 肥料 (fertilizer).
HSK Study Tips
Though 肥 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects to HSK 2 words like 肉 (meat) and 丰富 (rich, abundant). Focus on how it describes both physical attributes and agricultural contexts to enhance your vocabulary.
Common Mistakes
Learners often use 肥 solely to describe people, neglecting its agricultural meanings. For example, saying '他很肥' (He is very fat) is fine, but forgetting to use it when discussing fertilizers like 肥料 (fertilizer) is a common oversight.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 肥
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Knowing 肥 is seven skills, not one.
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肥 = ⺼ + 巴. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 肥
IDS Structure⿰⺼巴
肥Full character
=
⺼rou4
left
巴Ba1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 肥?
How to say fat in Chinese
“fat” in Chinese is肥féi
The character 肥 (féi) primarily translates to 'fat' or 'plump.' It is used in various contexts, including describing body types, food, and even agricultural fertility. The word can also imply richness or abundance, often related to wealth or prosperity, as well as referring to fertilizers in farming.
When to use 肥
Learners may confuse 肥 with 胖 (pàng), which also means 'fat' but is more commonly used for describing people. This term is generally informal, so be cautious using it in a formal context. Common collocations include 肥肉 (fatty meat) and 肥料 (fertilizer).
肥 or something close to it
胖 (pàng) - use 肥 (féi) when referring to fatness in a more neutral or positive context, such as in agriculture or food richness, while 胖 (pàng) is often more directly associated with body size and can carry a negative connotation.
What learners get wrong
Learners often use 肥 solely to describe people, neglecting its agricultural meanings. For example, saying '他很肥' (He is very fat) is fine, but forgetting to use it when discussing fertilizers like 肥料 (fertilizer) is a common oversight.
Write 肥
肥
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Practice writing 肥 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 肥
肥 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.
Being fat not only affects appearance but can also lead to various health issues.
15
他因为长时间不运动，身体变得越来越肥。
Tā yīnwèi cháng shíjiān bù yùndòng, shēntǐ biàn de yuè lái yuè féi.
Because he hasn't exercised for a long time, his body has become fatter and fatter.
16
尽管他肥胖，但他仍然行动敏捷。
Jǐnguǎn tā féipàng, dàn tā réngrán xíngdòng mǐnjié.
Despite being fat, he still moves quickly.
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Word Family of 肥
Compounds3
俷fèi
淝féian affluent of the Poyang Lake
萉fèi
Words containing this character20
肥féifat
减肥jiǎnféito lose weight減肥
肥皂féizàosoap
肥胖féipàngfat
肥料féiliàofertilizer
合肥héféiHefei, capital of Anhui Province 安徽省[AnhuīShěng] in south central China
化肥huàféifertilizer
肥肉féiròufatty meat
肥大féidàfat
施肥shīféito spread manure
合肥市héféishìHefei, capital of Anhui Province 安徽省[AnhuīShěng] in south central China
肥厚féihòuplump
积肥jīféito accumulate manure積肥
肥沃féiwòfertile
追肥zhuīféitop soil dressing
堆肥duīféicompost
绿肥lǜféigreen manure綠肥
肥力féilìfertility (of soil)
肥胖症féipàngzhèngobesity
磷肥línféiphosphate fertilizer
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 肥
What does 淝 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 肥
Yes, 肥 is used in idiomatic expressions such as '肥水不流外人田' (féi shuǐ bù liú wài rén tián), which translates to 'fertile water should not flow to others' fields.' This idiom emphasizes the importance of taking care of one's own interests.
Common phrases with 肥 include '肥料' (féi liào), which means 'fertilizer,' and '肥肉' (féi ròu), meaning 'fatty meat.' These phrases illustrate how 肥 can be used in different contexts related to agriculture and food.
肥 (féi) primarily means 'fat' in Chinese, but it can also refer to something that is 'fertile' or 'loose-fitting.' Additionally, it can imply 'to fertilize' or 'to become rich by illegal means.' The context in which it is used will determine its specific meaning.
To use 肥 in a sentence, you might say '这只狗太肥了' (Zhè zhī gǒu tài féi le), which means 'This dog is too fat.' You can also say '这块土地很肥' (Zhè kuài tǔdì hěn féi), meaning 'This land is very fertile.' Understanding the context helps in using the word appropriately.
No, 肥 can also refer to food and agricultural contexts, such as describing rich soil or fatty foods.
It's generally informal and may not be suitable for formal discussions about body image.
肥 usually refers to something plump or abundant, while 胖 specifically describes a person as overweight.
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