妃 meaning and stroke order
Wife, spouse; imperial concubine
How to write 妃, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 妃
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- imperial concubine
How 妃 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. One's own 己 woman 女.
Radical: 女 (woman), shared by 156 characters on this site.
How to remember 妃
妃 combines 女 (woman) with 己 (oneself). The etymology hint reads it as "one's own woman," which suggests a ruler's wife or consort.
Today 妃 (fēi) appears mostly in historical dramas, royal titles, and fixed words, not in everyday talk about wives. It often follows a rank or title, as in 贵妃 (guìfēi, noble consort) or 王妃 (wángfēi, princess). Example: 她是一位王妃。(Tā shì yí wèi wángfēi.) She is a princess.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 已 (yǐ) or 巳 (sì) instead of 己 (jǐ). In 己 the top-left stroke stays open and does not touch the middle line. Also keep the first tone, fēi, not fěi.
Common words with 妃
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 王妃 | wángfēi | princess (in Europe) | |
| 太妃糖 | tàifēitáng | (loanword) toffee; taffy |
Questions about 妃
How many strokes are in 妃?
妃 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 妃 mean?
妃 (fēi) means wife, spouse; imperial concubine. A common word with it is 王妃 (wángfēi), meaning "princess (in Europe)".
How do you pronounce 妃?
妃 is pronounced fēi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 妃?
The radical of 妃 is 女, which carries the idea of "woman". Dictionaries list 妃 under this radical.
Why does toffee in Chinese contain 妃?
太妃糖 (tàifēitáng) is a sound loan for "toffee." 太妃 (tàifēi) was picked for its sound, so the word has nothing to do with consorts.
Can I use 妃 to mean my own wife?
Not in normal speech. Use 妻子 (qīzi) or 老婆 (lǎopo) for a wife. 妃 sounds royal or historical, and people only use it jokingly in that way.