How to Write 绯 (fēi) — Meaning “Dark red; scarlet”

Imagine a piece of bright red silk (纟) that is so striking it's "wrong" or unusual (非) for everyday clothing — that's 绯, the vivid scarlet color. Or picture a celebrity's "scarlet" scandal (绯闻) where red represents both passion and trouble.

The left side 纟 has three strokes: a small bend, a dot, and a short horizontal ending in a hook. The right side 非 is symmetrical — first write the left vertical and three horizontals, then the right vertical and three horizontals — making sure both sides are even and not too wide. Common mistakes are making the 非 part too big or forgetting to connect the 纟 hook properly.

绑 (bǎng, to tie) uses 邦 on the right, which means 'state' or 'bind' — it relates to binding with silk. 绒 (róng, velvet) uses 戎 (weapon) on the right and refers to fine, soft textile fibers. In contrast, 绯 (fēi) uses 非 and is strictly about a dark red color — it never involves tying or soft fabric texture.

绯 commonly appears in 绯闻 (fēi wén, scandal or romantic rumors, especially about celebrities) where the 'red' implies sensational or embarrassing news. It also describes vivid red colors like 绯红 (fēi hóng, scarlet) in fashion or nature. Though not an everyday word, 绯 carries a dramatic, slightly literary feel, often used in news or poetic descriptions.

Common words containing 绯 include: 绯闻 (fēi wén) — Scandal; romantic rumors (usually about celebrities); 绯红 (fēi hóng) — Scarlet; crimson; 绯色 (fēi sè) — Scarlet color.