adjective / noun HSK 4
fat · fertile · plump · fertilizer
Meaning
肥 primarily means 'fat' or 'plump' when describing people, animals, or body parts. It can also mean 'fertile' when referring to soil or land. As a noun, it refers to fertilizer or manure used to enrich soil.
Usage
When describing people as 肥, it's generally considered blunt or even rude in direct conversation. Native speakers often use euphemisms like 胖 (pàng) instead. However, 肥 is commonly used for animals (肥猪 'fat pig') and in compound words like 肥料 (fertilizer) or 肥沃 (fertile). In Cantonese regions, 肥 is more commonly used in everyday speech.
Examples
- 01这块土地很肥沃，适合种庄稼。, .This piece of land is very fertile and suitable for growing crops.
- 02农民在田里施肥了。.The farmer applied fertilizer in the field.
Common collocations
- 肥肉fatty meat
- 肥皂soap
- 肥沃的土地fertile land
- 施肥to apply fertilizer
Antonyms
Origin
The character 肥 combines the meat radical 月(肉) on the left with 巴, suggesting abundance or excess of flesh. Originally referred to fat meat or fatty tissue, later extended to mean fertile soil.