肥 féi — loose-fitting; fat; fertile
这里的土地很肥沃，适合种庄稼。Zhè lǐ de tǔ dì hěn féi wò, shì hé zhòng zhuāng jia.The soil here is fertile and suitable for growing crops.
Common words: 减肥 (jiǎn féi)、肥皂 (féi zào)、肥胖 (féi pàng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "fat"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "fat", including 肥 (féi), 胖 (pàng), 脂 (zhī). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "fat" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 肥 (féi), 胖 (pàng), 脂 (zhī) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span féi, pàng, zhī — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 肥 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 肥 féiloose-fitting; fat; fertileUseful words: 减肥, 肥皂
- 胖 pàngfat; plumpUseful words: 胖子, 肥胖
- 脂 zhīfatUseful words: 脂肪, 体脂
Common words for these 3 "fat" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 肥 (féi) — so "fat" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "fat".
胖 pàng — fat; plump
这只小猫吃得胖乎乎的，十分可爱。Zhè zhī xiǎo māo chī de pàng hū hū de, shí fēn kě ài.This kitten is plump from eating, and very cute.
Common words: 胖子 (pàng zi)、肥胖 (féi pàng)、胖人 (pàng rén)
脂 zhī — fat
这种食物含的油脂太多，不宜多吃。Zhè zhǒng shí wù hán de yóu zhī tài duō, bù yí duō chī.This food contains too much fat and should not be eaten in excess.
Common words: 脂肪 (zhī fáng)、体脂 (tǐ zhī)、采脂 (cǎi zhī)
All 3 characters
Open 肥、胖、脂 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.