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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 炸鸡 的 热量 太 高 了，吃 多 了 容易 变 胖。Zhájī de rèliàng tài gāo le, chī duō le róngyì biàn pàng.Fried chicken is too high in calories and you tend to get fat if you eat too much of it.

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