费

費
Fei4
#486 most
frequent character
surname Fei

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

费 pairs 贝 'seashell' with 弗 fú, which gives the sound. It first meant 'to spend' or 'expend,' the opposite of saving. Shells served as money in many old cultures, which fits the meaning part. In Simplified Chinese, 贝 replaces 貝 through a cursive shortcut.

费 as a component in other characters

sound1 character
镄

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