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肺 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
肺fèilungHSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #3702, Hard
肺fèi>个[gè]HSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #3702, Hard
肺fèilungsHSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #3702, Hard
fèi(fei4) T4
  1. 1lung
  2. 2>个[gè]
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March 24, 2026
肺fèi(fei4)

The character 肺 (fèi) refers to the lungs, which are essential organs in the respiratory system responsible for gas exchange in the body. It is commonly used in medical contexts and discussions related to health, particularly in relation to breathing, respiratory diseases, and overall lung function.

Strokes8Radical⺼Frequency#3702DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the lungs are considered to play a vital role in the body's overall health, often linked to the concept of 'qi' (vital energy). This underscores the importance of lung health in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a pair of 'fay' (fèi) fans – they are large and help to circulate air, just like lungs do in your body. The character 肺 has the radical for 'flesh' (肉) on the left, emphasizing its biological nature as an organ.

Meanings of 肺

fèi(fei4)
1lung
2lungs
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 肺

肺Simplified
8Strokes
⺼Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#3702Frequency Rank
个Measure Word
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L6IntermediateTOCFLL5HSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 肺

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Podcast: 肺

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AI Study Notes for 肺

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a pair of 'fay' (fèi) fans – they are large and help to circulate air, just like lungs do in your body. The character 肺 has the radical for 'flesh' (肉) on the left, emphasizing its biological nature as an organ.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 肺 (fèi) with other similar-sounding words related to breathing, such as 呼吸 (hūxī), which means 'to breathe.' This term is generally used in medical or formal contexts, so it's best to use it in discussions about health or anatomy.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 6 word, 肺 connects to other medical vocabulary you may encounter, such as 心脏 (xīnzàng, heart) and 器官 (qìguān, organ). Focus on understanding how it fits into discussions about health and anatomy, and practice using it in sentences.

Cultural Note

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the lungs are considered to play a vital role in the body's overall health, often linked to the concept of 'qi' (vital energy). This underscores the importance of lung health in Chinese culture.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 肺 (fèi) with 胸 (xiōng, chest) because they both relate to the respiratory system. A common mistake is saying '我有胸病' (Wǒ yǒu xiōng bìng), instead of '我有肺病' (Wǒ yǒu fèi bìng) to mean 'I have a lung disease.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 肺

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Etymology of 肺

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

flesh

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 肺?

Decomposition of 肺

IDS Structure⿰⺼巿
肺Full Character
=
⺼rou4
left
巿fu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 肺?

Write 肺

肺

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

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Grammar Patterns of 肺

肺 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 3 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 5

Complete the Sentence

____细胞约每周新老更替一次。

Lung cells die and are replaced about once a week.

Example Sentences for 肺 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
肺细胞约每周新老更替一次。

fèi xì bāo yuē měi zhōu xīn lǎo gēng tì yī cì。

Lung cells die and are replaced about once a week.
2
吸烟导致每年有1万人死于慢性肺病。

xī yān dǎo zhì měi nián yǒu1 1 wàn rén sǐ yú màn xìng fèi。

10,000 deaths a year from chronic lung disease are attributable to smoking.
3
不时检查那匹马的心脏和肺。

bù shí jiǎn chá nà pǐ mǎ de xīn zāng hé fèi。

Every so often the horse's heart and lungs are checked.
4
她担心会得肺炎或支气管炎。

tā dān xīn huì dé fèi yán huò zhī qì guǎn yán。

She had feared she was going down with pneumonia or bronchitis.
5
肺实际上由上千条细微的气管构成。

fèi shí jì shàng yóu shàng qiān tiáo xì wēi de qì guǎn gòu chéng。

The lungs are in fact constructed of thousands of tiny tubes.
6
肺呼出这些废气被排到空气中。

fèi hū chū zhè xiē fèi qì bèi pái dào kōng qì zhōng。

As the lungs exhale this waste, gas is expelled into the atmosphere.
7
肺气肿病人能做些什么来帮助自己恢复健康？

fèi qì zhǒng bìng rén néng zuò xiē shí mó lái bāng zhù zì jǐ huī fù jiàn kāng？

What can a patient with emphysema do to help themselves?
8
1941年11月，佩恩得了严重的肺炎。

1941 194111 nián， 11 yuè ， pèi ēn dé le yán zhòng。

In November 1941 Payne was seriously ill with pneumonia.
9
朱老巩明白过来,是调虎离山计, 一时气炸了肺.

zhū lǎo gǒng míng bái guò lái, , shì tiáo hǔ lí shān, jì , yī shí qì zhà.

So this had been a trick to lure the tiger from the mountain! Zhu Laogong's lungs nearly burst with rage.
10
一天夜里，有人打来电话，请他去给一位患肺结核的妇女看病。

yī tiān yè lǐ， ， yǒu rén dǎ lái diàn， huà ， qǐng tā qù gěi yī wèi huàn fèi jié hé de fù nǚ。

One night he was called to see a woman with tuberculosis.

Cultural Notes for 肺

🏮Cultural insight

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the lungs are considered to play a vital role in the body's overall health, often linked to the concept of 'qi' (vital energy). This underscores the importance of lung health in Chinese culture.

Word Family of 肺

Words Containing This Character19
肺fèilung
肺癌lung cancer
肺炎pneumonia
肺结核TB肺結核
肺动脉pulmonary artery肺動脈
没心没肺simple-minded沒心沒肺
肺水肿pulmonary edema肺水腫
肺腑bottom of the heart (fig.)
肺病lung disease
肺泡pulmonary alveolus
肺气肿emphysema肺氣腫
非典型肺炎atypical pneumonia
肺活量(medicine) vital capacity
肺心病pulmonary heart disease (medicine)
尘肺pneumoconiosis塵肺
肺腑之言words from the bottom of one's heart
矽肺grinder's disease
狼心狗肺cruel and unscrupulous
肺痨tuberculosis肺癆
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 肺 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 肺

肺 refers specifically to the lungs, while 呼吸 refers to the act of breathing.