費
expense, cost, spend, consume, waste
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
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.