飞 meaning and stroke order
To fly
How to write 飞, stroke by stroke
3 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
Meaning of 飞
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to fly
How 飞 is built
Pictographic character. A bird flapping its wings.
How to remember 飞
飞 (fēi) is a picture of a bird flapping its wings. The long hooked stroke is the body sweeping upward, and the two small dots are wings beating as it takes off.
飞 is used for anything that flies, including birds, planes and even time passing quickly. It also starts many travel words, like 飞机 (fēijī, airplane) and 起飞 (qǐfēi, to take off). Example: 鸟在天上飞。(Niǎo zài tiān shàng fēi.) The bird is flying in the sky.
Common mistake: Learners often write the two dots on the wrong side or merge them into one stroke. Both dots sit to the right of the hooked stroke, one above the other, and each is written separately.
Common words with 飞
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 飞机 | fēijī | airplane | HSK 1 |
| 起飞 | qǐfēi | (of an aircraft or rocket) to take off; to lift off; (fig.) (of an enterprise etc) to star | HSK 2 |
| 飞行 | fēixíng | to fly; flight | HSK 3 |
| 飞船 | fēichuán | spaceship; spacecraft | HSK 6 |
| 飞行员 | fēixíngyuán | pilot; aviator | HSK 6 |
| 飞翔 | fēixiáng | to circle in the air; to soar | HSK 7-9 |
| 飞往 | fēiwǎng | HSK 7-9 | |
| 飞跃 | fēiyuè | to leap | HSK 7-9 |
| 飞速 | fēisù | swift; rapidly | HSK 7-9 |
| 不翼而飞 | bùyì'érfēi | to disappear without trace; to vanish all of a sudden | HSK 7-9 |
| 飞过 | fēiguò | to fly over; to fly past | |
| 飞弹 | fēidàn | (Tw) missile; stray bullet | |
| 远走高飞 | yuǎnzǒugāofēi | (idiom) to go far away; to flee to a distant place | |
| 飞越 | fēiyuè | to fly across; to fly over |
飞 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 飞
Learning 飞 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 飞
How many strokes are in 飞?
飞 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 飞 mean?
飞 (fēi) means to fly. A common word with it is 飞机 (fēijī), meaning "airplane".
How do you pronounce 飞?
飞 is pronounced fēi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the traditional form of 飞?
The traditional form of 飞 is 飛. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 飞 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 飞 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 飞 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
How do I say 'to fly to a city' in Chinese?
Use 飞 or 飞往 (fēiwǎng) before the place, for example 我明天飞北京 (Wǒ míngtiān fēi Běijīng), I fly to Beijing tomorrow. 飞往 sounds more formal and appears on airport signs and tickets.
Can 飞 describe something moving fast that is not flying?
Yes. 飞 can mean darting or very fast, as in 飞跑 (fēipǎo, to run like the wind). People also say 时间过得飞快 (shíjiān guò de fēikuài), time flies.