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.

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

:Yes

胖 is the default word for "fat"

Example Sentences

• 他 比 我 胖。Zhǐyào nǐ měi tiān shǎo chī duō yùndòng, jiù yīdìng néng jiǎn pàng chénggōng.He is fatter than me.
• 他 不 仅仅 胖，而且 还 很 矮。Tā bù jǐnjǐn pàng, érqiě hái hěn ǎi.He's not just fat, he's also short.
• 胖 的 人 穿 黑色 的 衣服 会 显 得 瘦 一点。Pàng de rén chuān hēisè de yīfu huì xiǎn de shòu yīdiǎn.A fat person would look thinner in black.
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肥 can be "fat" for an animal, meat, or a person

Example Sentences

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Use 肥 when talking about losing weight

Example Sentences

• 为了 减 肥，她 只 喝 无 糖 饮料。Wèile jiǎn féi, 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 jiǎn féi 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 jiǎn féi chénggōng.If you eat less and exercise more every day, you will definitely succeed in losing weight.
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“胖”是指一个人有很多肉，体型宽广，但是很结实；“肥”是指脂肪较多，通常形容动物，形容人的话，带有贬义或者蔑视的作用；

Sources and further reading

Websites

胖和肥的区别是什么？ https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/591425905316378925.html