Comparing "fei" and "pang"

肥 (féi) and 胖 (pàng) are both adjectives that mean "fat" and both are used in informal and formal settings. 胖 is the more normal word for "fat," while 肥 which is used to describe an animal that is fat or fatty meat, or to exaggerate "fat" for a person. When discussing going on a diet or trying to lose weight, 减肥 (jiǎnféi) is the only choice. A final difference is that only 肥 can be used to describe clothes that are loose-fitting or baggy.

B1HSK4ASV4567

	肥 (féi)	胖 (pàng)
Meaning	fatty	fat
Part of Speech	adjective	adjective
Formality	flexible	flexible

:Yes

胖 is the default word for "fat"

The word 胖 in Chinese is not as negative as "fat" in English. It can mean "solid" and "bulky," referring to muscle as well as fat, rather than just "obese."

Example Sentences

• * 他 比 我 胖。 Tā bǐ wǒ pàng .He is fatter than me.
• 你 太 胖 了，你 需要 多 运动。Nǐ tài pàng le, nǐ xūyào duō yùndòng.You are too fat. You need to exercise more.
• 我 最近 一直 没有 运动，有点 变 胖 了。Wǒ zuìjìn yīzhí méiyǒu yùndòng, yǒudiǎn biàn pàng le.I haven't been exercising lately and I'm getting a bit chubby.
• * 胖 的 人 穿 黑色 的 衣服 看起来 会 瘦 一点。 pàng de rén chuān hēisè de yīfu kànqǐlái huì shòu yīdiǎn.A fat person looks thinner in black.

肥 can be "fat" for an animal, meat, or a person

肥 is more negative than 胖 in Chinese. It refers to only fatty tissue, like "flabby," and is frequently used for animals and meat.

• 这 些 肉 太 肥 了，我 不 喜欢 吃。Zhè xiē ròu tài féi le, wǒ bù xǐhuan chī.These meats are too fatty for my liking.
• 这只 小狗 喜欢 吃 不 喜欢 运动，所以 它 越 长 越 肥 了。Zhèzhǐ xiǎogǒu xǐhuan chī bù xǐhuan yùndòng, suǒyǐ tā yuèchángyuè féi le.This puppy likes to eat and doesn't like to exercise, so it's getting fatter and fatter.
• 这 头 肥 猪 重 一 百 公斤。Zhètóu féi zhū zhòng yī bǎi gōngjīn.This fatty pig weighs 100 kg.

Sometimes 肥 can even refer to baggy clothing:

• 我 最近 瘦 了，这 件 衣服 太 肥 了。 Wǒ zuìjìn shòu le, zhè jiàn yīfu tài féi le.I've lost weight recently, and this dress is too fat.

Use 肥 when talking about losing weight

Example Sentences

• 为了 减肥，她 只 喝 无 糖 饮料。Wèile jiǎnféi, tā zhǐ hē wú táng yǐnliào.To lose weight, she only drinks sugar-free drinks.
• 我 觉得 跑步 对 减肥 没有 效果。Wǒ juéde pǎobù duì jiǎnféi méiyǒu xiàoguǒ.I don't think running is effective for weight loss.
• 只要 你 每 天 少 吃 多 运动，就 一定 能 减肥 成功。Zhǐyào nǐ měi tiān shǎo chī duō yùndòng, jiù yīdìng néng jiǎnféi chénggōng.If you eat less and exercise more every day, you will definitely succeed in losing weight.

Sources and further reading

Websites

• 胖和肥的区别是什么？