Meaning of 浪费
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to waste
- to squander
How to use 浪费
浪费 is a common verb used for wasting money, time, food, or resources, and it can take a direct object. It is often used in warnings or complaints. 别浪费时间。 (Bié làngfèi shíjiān.) Don't waste time.
浪 (làng) means a wave, and 费 (fèi) means expense or cost. Picture your money being carried off by a wave and lost at sea: that is 浪费, wasting what you spent.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 浪费 (làngfèi, to waste) with 消费 (xiāofèi, to consume or spend), but 消费 is neutral spending while 浪费 is always negative. Also remember 浪 is fourth tone, not 狼 (láng, wolf), which looks similar but has the dog radical instead of water.
浪费 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
浪 làng · wave · 10 strokes
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- 10
费 fèi · to cost · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 浪费.
| 费用 | fèiyong | cost; expenditure |
| 学费 | xuéfèi | tuition fee; tuition |
| 收费 | shōufèi | to charge a fee |
| 消费 | xiāofèi | to consume (goods and services, resources etc) |
| 交费 | jiāofèi | to pay a fee |
| 免费 | miǎnfèi | free (of charge) |
| 浪漫 | làngmàn | romantic |
| 经费 | jīngfèi | funds; expenditure |
| 消费者 | xiāofèizhě | consumer |
| 花费 | huāfèi | expense; cost |
| 小费 | xiǎofèi | tip; gratuity |
| 海浪 | hǎilàng | sea wave |
Questions about 浪费
What does 浪费 mean?
浪费 (làngfèi) means "to waste; to squander" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 浪费?
浪费 is made of 2 characters: 浪 (10 strokes), 费 (9 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 浪费 an HSK word?
Yes. 浪费 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 浪费 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 浪费 is written 浪費.
Can 浪费 be used as a noun or adjective?
Yes. It can describe something as wasteful, as in 这样太浪费了 (zhèyàng tài làngfèi le), "this is too wasteful." It can also act like a noun, as in 这是一种浪费 (zhè shì yì zhǒng làngfèi), "this is a kind of waste."
How do I say "Don't waste food" in Chinese?
You can say 不要浪费食物 (bú yào làngfèi shíwù) or more casually 别浪费粮食 (bié làngfèi liángshi). The second is a very common phrase in China, often said at the dinner table.