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破费 (pò fèi) — to go to expense (polite expression used to thank someone for spending money on your behalf)

Definition

A polite set phrase used when someone else spends money on you — 'you're going to too much expense'. It's an expression of thanks/embarrassment, not a neutral verb for spending.

verb
to go to expense (polite expression used to thank someone for spending money on your behalf)

Examples

  • 破费。
    Zhè cì yòu ràng nín pò fèi le.
    You've gone to expense again.
  • ，。
    Nín pò le zhè me duō fèi, wǒ dōu bù hǎo yì si le.
    You've spent so much — I feel really embarrassed.
  • 破费，。
    Bié pò fèi le, wǒ men jiǎn dān chī diǎn r jiù xíng.
    Don't go to any expense — just a simple meal is fine.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

破pòbreak
费fèiexpense

破 (break) and 费 (expense) describe breaking expense, i.e., spending.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí破pò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

破 has 石 (stone) as its meaning part and 皮 as its sound part.

Open 破 →

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
Greetings & Politeness

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