费 (fèi) is a Chinese character meaning “fee”. It is written from 弗 (not (classical negative); here used for its sound fú) and 贝 (shell), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “fee; to spend”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
弗 + 贝
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字·贝部：費，散財用也。从貝弗聲（现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：弗5画 + 贝4画 = 9画）
Memory aid
Shells (贝) — the old money — sit under 弗, “not”. Money that will not stay in your hand: 费, to spend, a fee.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 费用fèi yòngcost; expenses费 = fèi
- 免费miǎn fèifree of charge费 = fèi
- 浪费làng fèito waste费 = fèi
- 枉费wǎng fèito waste (effort); to spend in vain费 = fèi
- 耗费hào fèito expend; to consume (time, money, energy)费 = fèi
Go deeper
All readings
fee; expense; to spend; to waste
fee; charge; expenses; to cost; to spend; to use up too much
为某事花的钱；花费、耗费，也指用得太多。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 费用fèi yòngcost; expenses费 = fèi
- 免费miǎn fèifree of charge费 = fèi
- 浪费làng fèito waste费 = fèi
- 枉费wǎng fèito waste (effort); to spend in vain费 = fèi
- 耗费hào fèito expend; to consume (time, money, energy)费 = fèi
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 费 mean?
费 (fèi) means fee; charge; expenses; to cost; to spend; to use up too much.
How do you pronounce 费?
It is pronounced fèi.
What parts is 费 made of?
弗 (not (classical negative); here used for its sound fú) and 贝 (shell), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字·贝部：費，散財用也。从貝弗聲（现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 笔画核验：弗5画 + 贝4画 = 9画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 费 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 费?
贝. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 费?
Common ones are 费用, 免费, 浪费. The reading of 费 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.