费

費
fèi
#486 most
frequent character
fee, cost
noun
verb

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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Example Sentences

这件衣服的费用很高。
zhè jiàn yīfú de fèiyòng hěngāo 。
The cost of this piece of clothing is very high.
我们需要支付额外的费用。
wǒmen xūyào zhīfù éwài de fèiyòng 。
We need to pay extra fees.
这项服务是免费的。
zhèxiàng fúwù shì miǎnfèi de 。
This service is free of charge.

Same Characters, Different Readings

费Fei4
surname Fei

Words with similar meanings

费用fèiyòng
cost
费用 is used more specifically to refer to charges associated with services or goods.
费用fèiyòng
expense
费用 is often used in a context of more formal financial discussions.

Homophones

HSK 5
肺fèi
lung
废fèi
. abandoned, . to abandon

Words Starting With 费

费用fèi yòng
"cost; expenditure; expense

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