Sentence #3377987 from Tatoeba · translation adapted
How 非常 is built
Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.
非fēito not be; not
非 is a single shape of 8 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.
常chángalways
尚still · shàngSound part
巾napkin · jīnMeaning part
巾 hints at the meaning (napkin); 尚 (shàng) hints at the sound. Compare it with cháng.
Memory aidCloth 巾 with 尚 (shàng) for the sound. Its first meaning was a skirt; now it means “often, usual”.
How to write 非常
非 8 strokes · 常 11 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 非常 (fēicháng). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
非常 (fēicháng) means “extremely” or “very”. It is an HSK 2 word, so it is one of the words learners meet early.
Say it fēicháng: fēi with a 1st tone, then cháng with a 2nd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 非常 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type feichang with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 非常 from the suggestions. Typing feichang into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
非常 is an HSK 2 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.
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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.
非fēi1st tone, high and level
常cháng2nd tone, rising
