How to Write 蜚 (fēi) — Meaning “cockroach (component); rumor (component)”

Imagine a cockroach (虫) that is "non-stop" (非) spreading rumors everywhere. The shape of 非 looks like two spreading wings or lines, reminding you that rumors fly around quickly, just like a cockroach scurrying.

Write the top 虫 first with its standard stroke order, then write 非 below: start with the left vertical, then the two left horizontal strokes, then the right vertical, then the two right horizontal strokes. A common mistake is making the bottom 非 too tall or misaligning its two vertical strokes, so keep it compact and centered under 虫.

蜚 means cockroach or rumor and has 非 below, while 蛐 (qū) means cricket (as in 蛐蛐) and contains 曲, and 蛑 (móu) refers to a kind of crab and contains 牟. Visually, the lower components are different: 非 vs. 曲 vs. 牟, and each belongs to distinct word families.

蜚 is not used alone in daily speech; it appears in formal or literary compounds like 蜚语 (fēiyǔ, "rumor, gossip") and 蜚声 (fēishēng, "to be well-known"). Although 蜚蠊 is the scientific term for cockroach, most people say 蟑螂 (zhāngláng) in everyday conversation, so 蜚 has a more refined or technical feel.

Common words containing 蜚 include: 蜚语 (fēi yǔ) — rumor; gossip; 蜚声 (fēi shēng) — to be well-known; to enjoy a reputation; 蜚蠊 (fēi lián) — cockroach (scientific name).