Definitions

Fēi (noun) Philippines (abbreviation)
fēi (adjective) luxuriant; fragrant
fěi (adjective) poor; humble

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

Composed of the grass radical over the phonetic component "非", the character "菲" initially identified a fragrant herbaceous plant in early Chinese literature, with its structure clearly linking it to vegetation. Its semantic range broadened over time to convey notions of luxuriant growth, particularly in floral contexts such as the compound "芳菲", while also developing contrasting meanings of humility and poor quality through extended usage in phrases like "菲薄". This divergence in meaning reflects adaptive linguistic processes where the character's form remained unchanged, allowing it to carry both botanical and abstract interpretations based on literary and colloquial application.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

是我的好朋友。

Fēifēi shì wǒ de hǎo péngyǒu.

Feifei is my good friend.

律宾是一个美丽的国家。

Fēilǜbīn shì yīgè měilì de guójiā.

The Philippines is a beautiful country.

这种林很昂贵。

Zhè zhǒng fēilín hěn ángguì.

This kind of film is very expensive.

我们计划明年去律宾旅行。

Wǒmen jìhuà míngnián qù Fēilǜbīn lǚxíng.

We plan to travel to the Philippines next year.

花园里花香

Huāyuán lǐ huāxiāng fēifēi.

In the garden, the fragrance of flowers is luxuriant.

薄的收入难以维生。

Tā fēibó de shōurù nányǐ wéishēng.

His meager income is hard to live on.

尽管礼物薄,但心意深厚。

Jǐnguǎn lǐwù fēibó, dàn xīnyì shēnhòu.

Although the gift is humble, the sentiment is deep.

他对自己的成就持薄态度,从不骄傲。

Tā duì zìjǐ de chéngjiù chí fēibó tàidù, cóng bù jiāo'ào.

He holds a humble attitude towards his achievements and is never proud.