非

Han character

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Radical 175 非

非 (Kangxi radical 175, 非+0, 8 strokes, cangjie input 中一尸卜 (LMSY) or 中一卜卜卜 (LMYYY), four-corner 1111₁, composition ⿰⿰三丨⿰丨三(G) or ⿰⿰⿱𠄟㇀丿⿰丨三(HTK) or ⿰⿻⿰𠄟丿㇀⿰丨三(J) or ⿰⿰三丿⿰丨三(V))

Glyph origin

More information Historical forms of the character 非, Shang ...

Historical forms of the character 非
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script

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Pictogram (象形) - two wings facing opposite directions. Originally, it represented wings; then, according to Xu Shen, its meaning changed into "leave; disobey" (違). Eventually, it was used perhaps as a phonetic loan to mean "not to be".

Unrelated to the Kangxi radical 韭.

Etymology

非 (OC *pɯj) is the fusion of the negation particle 不 (OC *pɯ, *pɯʔ, *pɯ', “not”) and the copula 惟 (OC *ɢʷi, “to be”), attested in oracle bone inscriptions.

Pronunciation

Definitions

非

1. not be; is not; not

   非常  ―  fēicháng  ―  unusual

   • 臣弒其君，子弒其父，非一朝一夕之故。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     臣弑其君，子弑其父，非一朝一夕之故。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: I Ching, 11^th – 8^th century BCE

     Chén shì qí jūn, zǐ shì qí fù, fēi yīzhāoyīxī zhī gù. [Pinyin]

     The murder of a ruler by his minister, or of his father by a son, is not the result of the events of one morning or one evening.

   • 子貢曰：「管仲非仁者與？」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子贡曰：「管仲非仁者与？」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, Wiktionary translation

     Zǐ Gòng yuē: “Guǎn Zhòng fēi rén zhě yú?” [Pinyin]

     Zi Gong said, "Guan Zhong, I apprehend, was not a virtuous person."

2. to run counter to; to not conform to

   非法  ―  fēifǎ  ―  illegal

   • 子曰：「非禮勿視，非禮勿聽，非禮勿言，非禮勿動。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     子曰：「非礼勿视，非礼勿听，非礼勿言，非礼勿动。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zǐ yuē: “Fēilǐ wù shì, fēilǐ wù tīng, fēilǐ wù yán, fēilǐ wù dòng.” [Pinyin]

     The Master replied, "Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety."

3. (logic) NOT
4. wrong; incorrect

   是非  ―  shìfēi  ―  right and wrong

5. to reproach; to blame

   無可厚非／无可厚非  ―  wúkěhòufēi  ―  to give no cause for criticism

   • 為上則不能愛下，為下則好非其上，是人之一必窮也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     为上则不能爱下，为下则好非其上，是人之一必穷也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE

     Wéi shàng zé bùnéng ài xià, wéi xià zé hào fēi qí shàng, shì rén zhī yī bì qióng yě. [Pinyin]

     If, as a superior he cannot love his subordinates, or if, as a subordinate, he likes to reproach his superiors — this is the first case in which a person is sure to suffer.

6. (colloquial) Used to insist on something. to have got to; to simply must

   不行，我非得走。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Bùxíng, wǒ fēi děi zǒu. [Pinyin]

   No, I must go.

   • 2015, “空姐之歌”, performed by 关晓彤:

     让你调直座椅靠背你非不调　让你拉开遮光板你不拉　不让你开行李架你非开　飞机正在起飞你非站起来 [MSC, simp.]
     讓你調直座椅靠背你非不調　讓你拉開遮光板你不拉　不讓你開行李架你非開　飛機正在起飛你非站起來 [MSC, trad.]

     ràng nǐ tiáo zhí zuòyǐ kàobèi nǐ fēi bù tiáo, ràng nǐ lā kāi zhēguāngbǎn nǐ bù lā, bù ràng nǐ kāi xínglǐjià nǐ fēi kāi, fēijī zhèngzài qǐfēi nǐ fēi zhàn qǐlái [Pinyin]

     [I] let you adjust the seat back vertical, you insist on not adjusting. [I] let you pull up the window blinds, you don't pull. [I] don't let you open up the overhead bin, you insist on opening it. The plane is taking off, and you insist on standing up.

7. Short for 非洲 (Fēizhōu, “Africa”).

   北非  ―  běifēi  ―  North Africa

8. (～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 非 (MC pj+j)

Compounds

Descendants

References

• “非”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–