非 (fēi) is a Chinese character meaning “not”. It is written from ㇑ (vertical stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke), and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “not; non-”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
㇑ + ㇐ + ㇐ + ㇐ + ㇑ + ㇐ + ㇐ + ㇐
Overlapping structure
- ㇑ vertical stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇑ vertical stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
- ㇐ horizontal stroke unknown
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形笔画拆分：第 1 与第 5 笔竖，第 2–4 笔为左侧三横，第 6–8 笔为右侧三横）
Memory aid
Two uprights (㇑) back to back, each carrying three level strokes (㇐) that point away from the other. Nothing here faces the same way — 非 says no.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 非常fēi chángvery; extremely非 = fēi
- 非凡fēi fánextraordinary; exceptional非 = fēi
- 莫非mò fēicould it be that…?; can it be非 = fēi
Go deeper
All readings
not; non-
not; not be; non-; un-; wrong; wrongdoing
不是；不对。也用作前缀，表示「不属于」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 非常fēi chángvery; extremely非 = fēi
- 非凡fēi fánextraordinary; exceptional非 = fēi
- 莫非mò fēicould it be that…?; can it be非 = fēi
Other characters with these parts
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 非 mean?
非 (fēi) means not; not be; non-; un-; wrong; wrongdoing.
How do you pronounce 非?
It is pronounced fēi.
What parts is 非 made of?
㇑ (vertical stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇑ (vertical stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke) and ㇐ (horizontal stroke). The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（现代字形笔画拆分：第 1 与第 5 笔竖，第 2–4 笔为左侧三横，第 6–8 笔为右侧三横）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 非 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 非?
非. 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 非?
Common ones are 非常 and 非凡. The reading of 非 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.