非 fēi not
not; simply must; wrong
How it came to be
象形 · Pictogram
A drawing of the thing it means.
Originally: spread wings
The oldest form shows two wings facing opposite ways.
How it is used
- 'Not' in bookish pairs: 非常 (fēicháng) extremely (lit. not-ordinary), 除非 (chúfēi) unless, 并非 (bìngfēi) is not really.
- The pattern 非…不可 means 'simply must / have no choice but': 非去不可 (fēi qù bùkě) must go.
- Rarely negates alone in speech (that's 不/没); 非 lives in fixed compounds and formal writing. Also 非洲 (Fēizhōu) = Africa.
Characters built with 非
Words with 非
- 非常fēichángextremelyHSK 1
- 非洲FēizhōuAfricaHSK 5
- 除非chúfēionly if (..., or otherwise, ...)HSK 6
- 并非bìngfēireally isn'tHSK 7
- 无可厚非wúkěhòufēiunderstandable; not to be blamedHSK 7
- 无非wúfēionlyHSK 7
- 是非shìfēiright and wrongHSK 7
- 非但fēidànnot onlyHSK 7
- 非得fēiděimustHSK 7
- 非法fēifǎillegalHSK 7
- 面目全非miànmù-quánfēinothing remains the same (idiom)HSK 7
- 似是而非sìshì-érfēiapparently right but actually wrongHSK 8
- 莫非mòfēican it be possible thatHSK 9
- 非凡fēifánout of the ordinaryHSK 9
Example sentences
- 孩子们玩得非常高兴。 Háizimen wán de fēicháng gāoxìng.The children were extremely happy playing.
- 这间宾馆非常豪华。 Zhè jiān bīnguǎn fēicháng háohuá.This hotel is very luxurious.