费
费 (fèi) means “fee”. It is made of 弗 + 贝 and has 9 strokes, and is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 费 into its parts
What 费 is made of
- 弗 fú — not
- 弓 gōng — bow
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 贝 bèi — sea shell
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 人 rén — person
- 冂 — frame
Origin hint: 贝 gives the meaning, 弗 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
费 stroke order
Example sentences
这个工作很费时间。Zhège gōngzuò hěn fèi shíjiān.This work takes a lot of time.
这样做太费钱了。Zhèyàng zuò tài fèi qián le.Doing it this way costs too much money.
Words with 费
- 费用fèiyòngcost
- 交费jiāofèito pay a fee
- 浪费làngfèito waste
- 收费shōufèito charge (a fee)
- 消费xiāofèito spend
- 学费xuéfèituition fee
- 免费miǎnfèifree (of charge)
- 耗费hàofèito consume
- 经费jīngfèifunds
Also built with 弗
Quick facts
| Pinyin | fèi |
|---|---|
| Meaning | fee; cost; to spend (time, money) |
| Strokes | 9 |
| Radical | 貝 (shell, #154) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 4 (exam 2025) · HSK 3 (2021) |
Questions about 费
What does 费 mean?
费 (fèi) means “fee; cost; to spend (time, money)”.
How many strokes does 费 have?
费 has 9 strokes.
What is the radical of 费?
The radical of 费 is 貝 (bèi, “shell”), Kangxi radical number 154.
What parts make up 费?
费 is made of 弗 (not) and 贝 (sea shell).
Which HSK level is 费?
费 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021).
Learn 费 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 95: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.