Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/费(費)-fèi-spend;-expense

费(費) fèi spend; expense - Mandarin Chinese

Definition

Radical is 贝 (貝) bèi “cowrie shell,” which gives an idea of the meaning, since cowrie shells were used as a form of money in ancient China. Phonetic is 弗 fú “not.” One way to remember this character is by the similarity of the character 弗 to a “reverse dollar sign.” Distinguish 费 (費) from 贵 (貴) guì.

Examples

• 费 (費) Fèi Fei [SN]
• 修车费 (修車費) xiūchēfèi cost of repairing a vehicle [N]
• 水费 (水費) shuĭfèi water fee [N]
• 电费 (電費) diànfèi electricity fee [N]
• 水电费 (水電費) shuĭdiànfèi water and electricity fee [N]
• 破费 (破費) pòfèi go to great expense [VO]
• 费用 (費用) fèiyòng expenses, cost, fee [N]
• 小费 (小費) xiăofèi tip, gratuity [N]
• 费城 (費城) Fèichéng Philadelphia [PW]

Sources

Book: Intermediate Written Chinese by Cornelius C. Kubler

Other Lessons

• 料 liào material
• 部 bù part, section
• 非 fēi not; Africa
• 步 bù step, pace
• 元 yuán
• 足 zú foot; enough
• 查 chá examine, check, Zhā Zha (a surname)
• Education
• 紧(緊) jĭn tight, tense
• Beverages
• 应(應) yīng should
• 考 kăo test, take a test
• 啊 a particle
• Transportation
• 黑 hēi black