飛 meaning and stroke order
To fly, to dart; high
How to write 飛, stroke by stroke
9 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
Meaning of 飛
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to fly
How 飛 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Two birds 飞 flying.
How to remember 飛
The etymology hint describes 飛 as two birds 飞 flying, so picture two sets of wings stacked on top of each other, beating together as they rise. The repeated wing shapes show the idea of flying.
飛 (fēi) means to fly, and it is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while mainland China writes 飞. It appears in many everyday words such as 飛機 (fēijī) airplane and 起飛 (qǐfēi) to take off. Example: 飛機幾點起飛？(Fēijī jǐ diǎn qǐfēi?) What time does the plane take off?
Common mistake: Learners who read both scripts sometimes mix 飛 and 飞 in the same text. Use 飛 consistently in traditional writing and 飞 in simplified writing. Also keep the first tone: fēi is high and level, not féi like 肥 (féi, fat).
Common words with 飛
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 飛機 | fēijī | airplane | HSK 1 |
| 起飛 | qǐfēi | (of an aircraft or rocket) to take off; to lift off; (fig.) (of an enterprise etc) to star | HSK 2 |
| 飛行 | fēixíng | to fly; flight | HSK 3 |
| 飛船 | fēichuán | spaceship; spacecraft | HSK 6 |
| 飛行員 | fēixíngyuán | pilot; aviator | HSK 6 |
| 飛翔 | fēixiáng | to circle in the air; to soar | HSK 7-9 |
| 飛往 | fēiwǎng | HSK 7-9 | |
| 飛躍 | fēiyuè | to leap | HSK 7-9 |
| 飛速 | fēisù | swift; rapidly | HSK 7-9 |
| 不翼而飛 | bùyì'érfēi | to disappear without trace; to vanish all of a sudden | HSK 7-9 |
| 飛過 | fēiguò | to fly over; to fly past | |
| 飛彈 | fēidàn | (Tw) missile; stray bullet | |
| 遠走高飛 | yuǎnzǒugāofēi | (idiom) to go far away; to flee to a distant place | |
| 飛越 | fēiyuè | to fly across; to fly over |
Questions about 飛
How many strokes are in 飛?
飛 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 飛 mean?
飛 (fēi) means to fly, to dart; high. A common word with it is 飞机 (fēijī), meaning "airplane".
How do you pronounce 飛?
飛 is pronounced fēi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the simplified form of 飛?
飛 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 飞, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can 飛 describe things other than birds and planes?
Yes. It can describe anything moving fast through the air or very quickly in general, as in 飛跃 (fēiyuè) to leap. It is also used figuratively for fast progress, like a business that 起飛 (qǐfēi) takes off.
What is the difference between 飛行 and 飛翔?
飛行 (fēixíng) is neutral and technical, used for flights and aviation, as in 飛行員 (fēixíngyuán) pilot. 飛翔 (fēixiáng) is more poetic and describes soaring or circling gracefully, often for birds.