妃

妃	U+5983, 妃 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5983

← 如
[U+5982]

CJK Unified Ideographs

妄 →
[U+5984]

Translingual

Han character

妃 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+3, 6 strokes, cangjie input 女尸山 (VSU), four-corner 4741₇, composition ⿰女己)

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 255, character 22
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6061
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1027, character 11
Unihan data for U+5983

Chinese

trad.		妃
simp. ^#		妃
alternative forms		𡚱

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (妃) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
圮	*brɯlʔ
妃	pʰɯːls, pʰɯl

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 女 (“woman”) + 卩 (“a kneeling man”).

Etymology 1

Probably related to 配 (OC *pʰɯːds, “to match”) (Wang, 1982).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): fēi (fei¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄈㄟ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): fei¹
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): fei¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): fei¹
Gan (Wiktionary): fii¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): fî

(Hailu, HRS): fui^ˋ

(Meixian, Guangdong): fi¹
Jin (Wiktionary): fei¹
Northern Min (KCR): hí
Eastern Min (BUC): hĭ
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): hi¹
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): hui

(Teochew, Peng'im): hui¹
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹fi
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): fei¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: fēi
  - Zhuyin: ㄈㄟ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: fei
  - Wade–Giles: fei¹
  - Yale: fēi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: fei
  - Palladius: фэй (fɛj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /feɪ̯⁵⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: fei¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: fei
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fei⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: fei¹
  - Yale: fēi
  - Cantonese Pinyin: fei¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: féi¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fei̯⁵⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: fei¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fei³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: fii¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɨi⁴²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: fî
  - Hakka Romanization System: fi^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: fi¹
  - Sinological IPA: /fi²⁴/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: fui^ˋ
  - Sinological IPA: /fui⁵³/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: fi¹
  - Sinological IPA: /fi⁴⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: fei¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /fei¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: hí
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /xi⁵⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: hĭ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hi⁵⁵/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: hi¹
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: hi
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hi⁵³³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: hi¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hi⁵⁴⁴/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hui
  - Tâi-lô: hui
  - Phofsit Daibuun: huy
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /hui⁴⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /hui³³/
  - Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /hui⁴⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei): /hui⁴⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /hui⁴⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: hui¹
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hui
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hui³³/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ¹fi
  - MiniDict: fi^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹fi
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /fi⁵³/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: fei¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɸe̞i̯³³/

Middle Chinese: phj+j

Rime
Character	妃
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	滂 (2)
Final (韻)	微 (21)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	芳非切
Baxter	phj+j
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/pʰʉi/
Pan Wuyun	/pʰʷɨi/
Shao Rongfen	/pʰiuəi/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/pʰuj/
Li Rong	/pʰiuəi/
Wang Li	/pʰĭwəi/
Bernhard Karlgren	/pʰwe̯i/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	fēi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	fei¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*pʰ[ə][j]/

(Zhengzhang): /*pʰɯl/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	妃
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	fēi
Middle Chinese	‹ phjɨj ›
Old Chinese	/*pʰ[ə][j]/
English	consort; match
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	妃
Reading #	2/2
No.	3062
Phonetic component	妃
Rime group	微
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	霏
Old Chinese	/*pʰɯl/
Notes	甲金文從巳從女表育兒之婦，非己聲

Definitions

妃

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) spouse; couple
(historical) imperial concubine
(historical) wife of a prince
(religion, honorific) goddess

Compounds

九妃
二妃
五妃廟 / 五妃庙
仙妃
伯妃引
側妃 / 侧妃
儲妃 / 储妃
元妃 (yuánfēi)
兩妃 / 两妃
取青妃白
后妃 (hòufēi)
四妃
大妃
太妃 (tàifēi)
天妃 (Tiānfēi)
太妃糖 (tàifēitáng)
天子妃
妃匹
妃呼豨 (fēihūxī)
妃夜蛾 (fēiyè'é)
妃妾
妃嬪 / 妃嫔 (fēipín)
妃子 (fēizǐ)
妃子園 / 妃子园
妃子笑
妃祿仙女 / 妃禄仙女
妃色
妾妃
娀妃
婁妃 / 娄妃
嬪妃 / 嫔妃 (pínfēi)
宓妃
宸妃
宮妃 / 宫妃 (gōngfēi)
少妃
帝妃 (dìfēi)
庶妃
徐妃
明妃
星妃
景陽妃 / 景阳妃
月妃
梅妃
楚妃
楊妃 / 杨妃
楚妃吟
楊妃垢 / 杨妃垢
楊妃山茶 / 杨妃山茶
楊妃春睡 / 杨妃春睡
楚妃歎 / 楚妃叹
楊妃粉 / 杨妃粉
楊妃茶 / 杨妃茶
楊妃醉舞 / 杨妃醉舞
楊貴妃 / 杨贵妃 (Yáng Guìfēi)
正妃
水妃
江妃
江妃佩
洛妃
洛浦宓妃
淑妃
淬妃
湘妃
湘妃墓
湘妃廟 / 湘妃庙
湘妃椅
湘妃竹 (xiāngfēizhú)
湘妃鼓瑟
湘陵妃子
漆妃
漢宮妃 / 汉宫妃
潘妃
潘妃步
潘妃金蓮 / 潘妃金莲
王妃 (wángfēi)
玉妃 (yùfēi)
瑤妃 / 瑶妃
瓊妃 / 琼妃
皇太妃
皇妃 (huángfēi)
皇貴妃 / 皇贵妃 (huángguìfēi)
真妃
禿妃之髮 / 秃妃之发
秦妃
竹妃
羿妃
虙妃
蟾妃
貞妃 / 贞妃
貴妃 / 贵妃 (guìfēi)
貴妃榻 / 贵妃榻
貴妃粉 / 贵妃粉
貴妃醉酒 / 贵妃醉酒
賢妃 / 贤妃
遺妃 / 遗妃
邰妃
醉楊妃 / 醉杨妃
醉楊妃色 / 醉杨妃色
霜妃
靈妃 / 灵妃
香妃
魏妃
麗妃 / 丽妃
黃妃塔 / 黄妃塔

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (妃):

→ Japanese: 妃(ひ) (hi)
→ Korean: 비(妃) (bi)
→ Vietnamese: phi (妃)

Others:

→ Manchu: ᡶᡝᡳ (fei)

Etymology 2

Related to 配 (OC *pʰɯːds, “to match”).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): pèi (pei⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄆㄟˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): pui³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: pèi
  - Zhuyin: ㄆㄟˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: pèi
  - Wade–Giles: pʻei⁴
  - Yale: pèi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pey
  - Palladius: пэй (pɛj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰeɪ̯⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: pui³
  - Yale: pui
  - Cantonese Pinyin: pui³
  - Guangdong Romanization: pui³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰuːi̯³³/

Middle Chinese: phwojH

Rime
Character	妃
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	滂 (2)
Final (韻)	灰 (42)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	滂佩切
Baxter	phwojH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/pʰuʌi^H/
Pan Wuyun	/pʰuoi^H/
Shao Rongfen	/pʰuɒi^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/pʰwəj^H/
Li Rong	/pʰuᴀi^H/
Wang Li	/pʰuɒi^H/
Bernhard Karlgren	/pʰuɑ̆i^H/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	pèi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	pui³

Old Chinese
(Zhengzhang): /*pʰɯːls/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	妃
Reading #	1/2
No.	3061
Phonetic component	妃
Rime group	微
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	配
Old Chinese	/*pʰɯːls/
Notes	見左傳

Definitions

妃

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to marry

Compounds

妃偶
妃合
妃耦 (pèi'ǒu)

Japanese

Shinjitai	妃
Kyūjitai ^[1]	妃󠄂 妃+`󠄂`^? (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho)
The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details.

Kanji

妃

(Jōyō kanji)

Readings

From Middle Chinese 妃 (MC phj+j); compare Mandarin 妃 (fēi):

Go-on: ひ (hi, Jōyō)
Kan-on: ひ (hi, Jōyō)

From Middle Chinese 妃 (MC phwojH); compare Mandarin 妃 (pèi):

Go-on: へ (he)
Kan-on: はい (hai)

From native Japanese roots:

Kun: きさい (kisai, 妃)、きさき (kisaki, 妃)、つれあい (tsureai, 妃)^{←つれあひ (tureafi, 妃, historical)}
Nanori: き (ki)、ひめ (hime)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
妃
きさき Grade: S
kun'yomi

Kanji in this term
妃
きさい Grade: S
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 妃 – see the following entry.

【后きさき】6	[noun] an empress [noun] any other wife of a male ruler or aristocrat, such as a queen
【后きさい】6	[noun] (uncommon, archaic) same as 后(きさき) (kisaki) above Alternative spelling 皇后

(This term, 妃, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
妃
みめ Grade: S
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
御妻

From 御(み)- (mi-, honorific prefix) + 女(め) (me, “woman”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [mʲime̞]

Noun

妃(みめ) • (mime)

a noble's wife

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
妃
ひ Grade: S
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 妃 (MC phj+j).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ひ [híꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
IPA^(key): [çi]

Noun

妃(ひ) • (hi)

a queen consort or princess consort
お妃(ひ)
o-hi
the queen

聖(せい)剣(けん)を抱(いだ)く王(おう)妃(ひ)ギネヴィア
Seiken o Idaku Ōhi Ginevia
Guinevere, the Queen Who Bears the Holy Sword

妃(ひ)殿(でん)下(か)
Hidenka
Her Highness the Princess

文(ふみ)仁(ひと)親(しん)王(のう)妃(ひ)紀(き)子(こ)
Fumihito Shinnōhi Kiko
Kiko, Princess Fumihito
(literally, “Kiko, Consort of Prince Fumihito”)

ウェールズ公(こう)妃(ひ)ダイアナ
Wēruzu Kōhi Daiana
Diana, Princess of Wales
(literally, “Diana, Consort of the Prince of Wales”)

References

^ Shōundō Henshūjo, editor (1927), 新漢和辞典 [The New Kanji-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese), Ōsaka: Shōundō, →DOI, page 393 (paper), page 209 (digital)
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

“^△妃”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese 妃 (MC phj+j). Recorded as Middle Korean 비 (pi) (Yale: pi) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

妃 (eumhun 왕비 비 (wangbi bi))

hanja form^? of 비 (“wife; spouse”)
hanja form^? of 비 (“imperial concubine”)

Compounds

양귀비 (楊貴妃, yanggwibi)
왕비 (王妃, wangbi)
황비 (皇妃, hwangbi)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 妃 (MC phwojH).

Hanja

妃 (eumhun 짝지을 배 (jjakjieul bae))

(archaic) hanja form^? of 배 (“to marry”)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]

Vietnamese

Han character

妃: Hán Nôm readings: phi

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[1] Shōundō Henshūjo, editor (1927), 新漢和辞典 [The New Kanji-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese), Ōsaka: Shōundō, →DOI, page 393 (paper), page 209 (digital)

[DJR-2] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]