How to Write 斐 (fěi) — Meaning “Brilliant; Elegant”

Think of a 'brilliant' piece of writing (文) that is so outstanding it stands out as 'non-standard' (非). Visualize a literary award ceremony where the winner's name is written in golden calligraphy above a red 'non' symbol, meaning 'beyond ordinary'.

Pay attention to the upper component 文: its strokes are slightly narrower than the lower 非. The four horizontal strokes in 非 should be parallel and evenly spaced, and the overall character is vertically balanced. A common mistake is making the top too wide or the bottom too narrow.

斐 (fěi) combines 文 (literature) and 非 (wrong), meaning 'brilliant'. 斋 (zhāi) has 文 on top but a different bottom (而), meaning 'study room' or 'fast'. 斌 (bīn) has 文 on the left and 武 (military) on the right, meaning 'cultured and martial' — note the different placement of 文.

斐 appears in formal or literary contexts, most commonly in the word 斐然 (fěi rán) meaning 'brilliant' or 'remarkable', often used to praise achievements or writings. It is also used in the country name 斐济 (Fiji) and in translations of foreign names like 莫斐 (Murphy).

Common words containing 斐 include: 斐然 (fěi rán) — Brilliant; Remarkable; 斐济 (fěi jì) — Fiji; 莫斐 (mò fěi) — Murphy (name).