菲 meaning and stroke order
Fragrant; rich, luxuriant; the Philippines
How to write 菲, stroke by stroke
11 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
Meaning of 菲
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- luxuriant (plant growth)
- rich with fragrance
- phenanthrene C14H10
- poor
- humble
- unworthy
- radish (old)
How 菲 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Grass.
艹 gives the meaning and 非 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 菲
菲 is grass 艹 on top of 非 (fēi), which gives the sound. Picture lush grass growing so thick and fragrant that it hides the 非 underneath.
Today 菲 is most common in names and loanwords, such as 菲律宾 (Fēilǜbīn) the Philippines, and in the set phrase 不菲 (bùfěi), meaning a price is far from small. Example: 这块表价格不菲。(Zhè kuài biǎo jiàgé bùfěi.) This watch is quite expensive.
Common mistake: Learners often read 不菲 as bùfēi, but here the character is third tone: bùfěi. Also do not confuse 菲 with 非 (fēi, not) or 啡 (fēi) in 咖啡 (kāfēi, coffee).
Common words with 菲
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
菲 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 菲
How many strokes are in 菲?
菲 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 菲 mean?
菲 (fēi) means fragrant; rich, luxuriant; the Philippines. A common word with it is 菲力 (fēilì), meaning "fillet (loanword)".
How do you pronounce 菲?
菲 is pronounced fēi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 菲?
The radical of 菲 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 菲 under this radical.
Why does 不菲 mean expensive if 菲 can mean fragrant?
In 不菲 the character is read fěi and carries its other sense, meaning meager or humble. 不菲 is literally not meager, so the cost is considerable.
Is 菲 used in personal names?
Yes. It is popular in girls' names because of its fragrant, lush meaning, as in 菲菲 (Fēifēi). It also appears in foreign names, like 菲力 (fēilì) for a fillet steak.