fei1妃
Jyutpingfei1
Yalefēi
Definition
Imperial concubine, or the wife of a male member of the imperial family.
writtenpeopleother
How it's used
Functions primarily as a bound morpheme in historical or formal contexts rather than as a standalone noun in daily speech. It appears frequently in compound terms referring to the hierarchy of the imperial harem or titles for royal spouses. Using it to describe a modern wife or partner would sound archaic or overly dramatic.
Examples
Ancient emperors had many imperial concubines.
Are they planning to make a movie about the princess?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to refer to a modern spouse or girlfriend, as it carries a strong historical connotation of feudal polygamy that is entirely inappropriate for contemporary relationships.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
