Chinese word

飞

Pronunciation

Pinyinfēi

Meaning

  • verbfly

Example

小鸟会飞。xiáo niǎo huì fēi

The little bird can fly.

Illustration for 飞 (fly)

More examples

孩子放风筝，风筝在空中高高地飞。hái zi fàng fēng zhēng fēng zhēng zài kōng zhōng gāo gāo dì fēi

The child flies a kite, and the kite flies high in the sky.

Core concept

Move through the air by wings, wind, or another force, or make something do so.

Common phrases

  • 会飞huì fēi

    can fly

  • 飞起来fēi qǐ lái

    start flying

  • 飞得很快fēi de hěn kuài

    fly very fast

Similar words

走zǒu: Move from place to place on the ground using the feet.
跑pǎo: Move quickly across the ground by moving the feet fast.
跳tiào: Push off the ground with the feet and rise into the air briefly.
游yóu: Move through water by using the body, arms, or legs.

Definition in Chinese

借助翅膀、气流或其他动力在空中移动；也可指使某物在空中运动。jiè zhù chì bǎng qì liú huò qí tā dòng lì zài kōng zhōng yí dòng yě kě zhí shǐ mǒu wù zài kōng zhōng yùn dòng

Word origin

飞 (fēi, "fly") is the simplified form of 飛 (fēi, "fly"), an old character associated with the spread wings of a bird, making its written history a natural link to air travel.

Usage tips

  • In Chinese, 会 (huì, "can") before an action verb marks ability, while the action verb stays unchanged; this pattern is useful for describing what animals or machines can do.

Other meanings

  • send flyingverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word