飞 (fēi) is a Chinese character meaning “to fly”. It is written from ㇈ and ㇒ and ㇔, and takes 3 strokes.
Build the character for “to fly”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
㇈ + ㇒ + ㇔
Overlapping structure
Structure from: 笔画级现代字形拆分，逐笔核对 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 的三条笔画路径（非字源）
Memory aid
The long hooked stroke (㇈) sweeps out like a wing; the short left-falling stroke (㇒) and the dot (㇔) are the feathers tucked inside it — 飞, to fly.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
3 strokes
In real words
- 飞机fēi jīairplane飞 = fēiHSK 1
- 起飞qǐ fēito take off (of an aircraft)飞 = fēi
Go deeper
All readings
to fly
to fly; to flutter; to move swiftly through the air
鸟、虫或飞行器在空中活动；也指在空中快速移动。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 飞机fēi jīairplane飞 = fēiHSK 1
- 起飞qǐ fēito take off (of an aircraft)飞 = fēi
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 飞 mean?
飞 (fēi) means to fly; to flutter; to move swiftly through the air.
How do you pronounce 飞?
It is pronounced fēi.
What parts is 飞 made of?
㇈ and ㇒ and ㇔. The recorded source is: 笔画级现代字形拆分，逐笔核对 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 的三条笔画路径（非字源）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 飞 have?
3. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 飞?
飞. 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 飞?
Common ones are 飞机 and 起飞. The reading of 飞 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.