Meaning of 花费
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- expense
- cost
- to spend (time or money)
- expenditure
How to use 花费
花费 works as a verb meaning to spend time, money, or effort, and as a noun meaning expenses. It sounds more formal than plain 花 (huā), so it is common in writing and news. Example: 这个项目花费了三年时间。(Zhège xiàngmù huāfèile sān nián shíjiān.) This project took three years.
花 (huā) means flower, and as a verb it also means to spend. 费 (fèi) means fee or cost, as in 学费 (xuéfèi). So picture money blooming out of your wallet like petals falling away: 花费 is the cost of what you spend.
Common mistake: Learners often use 花费 in casual speech where Chinese speakers would just say 花, for example 我花了一百块 (wǒ huāle yìbǎi kuài) sounds more natural than 我花费了一百块. Also do not confuse 花费 with 浪费 (làngfèi), which means to waste, not simply to spend.
花费 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.
花 huā · flower · 7 strokes
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费 fèi · to cost · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 花费.
| 花园 | huāyuán | garden (for flowers, ornamental plants etc); (landscaped) park; yard with decorative plant |
| 浪费 | làngfèi | to waste; to squander |
| 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) |
| 鲜花 | xiānhuā | flower; fresh flowers |
| 开花 | kāihuā | to bloom; to blossom; to flower; (fig.) to burst; to split open |
| 经费 | jīngfèi | funds; expenditure |
| 消费者 | xiāofèizhě | consumer |
Questions about 花费
What does 花费 mean?
花费 (huāfèi) means "expense; cost" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 花费?
花费 is made of 2 characters: 花 (7 strokes), 费 (9 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 花费 an HSK word?
Yes. 花费 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 花费 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 花费 is written 花費.
What is the difference between 花费 and 消费?
花费 focuses on the amount of money, time, or energy someone uses up. 消费 (xiāofèi) means to consume goods and services and is used in economic contexts, like 消费者 (xiāofèizhě), consumer.
Can 花费 be used as a noun?
Yes. It can mean expenses or costs, as in 旅行的花费很大 (lǚxíng de huāfèi hěn dà), the trip's expenses are high. In more formal or official writing, 费用 (fèiyong) is also common for costs.