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Kotomora

費

expense, cost, spend, consume, waste

JLPTN3StatusJōyō · grade 5FrequencyTop 500Strokes12

Readings

On'yomi

  • ヒ

Kun'yomi

  • つい.やす
  • つい.える

Meaning

費 centers on using up resources, especially money: expense, cost, spending, consuming, or wasting.

Most common words using 費

24 of 308
  • 消費しょうひ
    N3

    consumption; expenditure; spending

  • 費ひ
    N2

    cost; expense

  • 費用ひよう
    N3

    cost; expense

  • 経費けいひ
    N1

    expenses; expenditure; outgoings; outlays; costs

  • 費やすついやす
    N2

    to spend; to expend; to consume

  • 燃費ねんぴ
    N1

    fuel consumption; gas mileage

  • 浪費ろうひ
    N1

    waste; extravagance

  • 出費しゅっぴ
    N2

    expenses; disbursements

  • 学費がくひ
    N3

    tuition; school expenses

  • 食費しょくひ
    N3

    food expenses; money for food; charge for board

  • 会費かいひ
    N1

    membership fee

  • 自費じひ

    one's own expense; out-of-pocket expense

  • 旅費りょひ
    N1

    travel expenses

  • 公費こうひ

    public expense; public funds; public money; public expenditure

  • 国費こくひ
    N1

    national expenditure; government spending; public funds

  • 工費こうひ

    construction cost

  • 実費じっぴ
    N1

    actual expenses; out-of-pocket expenses

  • 私費しひ
    N1

    private expense

  • 戦費せんぴ

    war expenditures

  • 消費税しょうひぜい
    N2

    consumption tax (incl. sales tax, VAT, excise duty, etc.)

  • 消費者しょうひしゃ
    N2

    consumer (of a product, service, etc.); customer; (end) user; buyer

  • 人件費じんけんひ

    personnel expenses; labor cost; labour cost

  • 交際費こうさいひ
    N3

    entertainment expenses

  • 交通費こうつうひ
    N3

    traveling expenses; travelling expenses; carfare

Explore all words using 費 →

Study

Etymology

費 combines 弗 (a phonetic element suggesting scattering or spending) with 貝 (shell, money), indicating the idea of expending money or resources.

Meaning mnemonic

The top part 弗 looks like a bundle of arrows being scattered, and the bottom 貝 is money. Picture scattering money like arrows: spending, wasting, and incurring expenses.

Reading mnemonic

For ヒ, imagine a heap of money being spent: heap -> ヒ, and the money pile shrinks as you consume it.