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免费 (miǎn fèi) — free of charge, gratis

Definition

免费 means 'free of charge, no cost to you.' It is more common and everyday than the formal written 无偿; as an adverb it modifies a verb (免费参观 = visit for free).

verb
free of chargegratis

Examples

  • 免费。
    Zhè ge gōng yuán miǎn fèi.
    This park is free.
  • 免费。
    Wǒ men tí gōng miǎn fèi de wǔ cān.
    We provide free lunch.
  • 免费。
    Zhè zuò bó wù guǎn miǎn fèi cān guān.
    This museum is free to visit.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

免miǎnexempt
费fèifee

“免” means exempt or remove, “费” means fee; together they mean without paying fees.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

免 originally drew a man wearing a ceremonial hat. It was later used for meanings such as avoid and exempt.

Open 免 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 費; 费 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry
Sound part声符shēngfú
弗
弗fú費fèi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 費 has 貝, a cowry shell, and 弗, which gives a sound; the simplified 费 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 费 →
Appears in
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