Understanding "电费" - Chinese Word Explanation

1. Basic Information

• Word: 电费
• Pinyin: diàn fèi
• Literal Meaning: "electricity fee"
• Primary Meaning: electricity bill; the cost of electricity used

2. In-depth Explanation

Context and Usage

电费 is used when talking about the money you pay for electricity. In daily life, it usually refers to your electricity bill or the charge for electricity usage.

You will often hear it in situations like:
- paying the utility bill
- checking how much electricity you used
- discussing household expenses

Common phrases include:
- 交电费 = pay the electricity bill
- 查电费 = check the electricity bill
- 电费贵 = electricity is expensive

In English, 电费 can be translated as:
- electricity bill
- electricity fee
- electricity charges

The most natural translation in everyday English is usually electricity bill.

Character Breakdown

• 电 = electricity, electric
• 费 = fee, expense, cost

So 电费 literally means electricity expense or electricity fee.

3. Example Sentences

• Chinese: 这个月的电费有点贵。
  Pinyin: Zhège yuè de diànfèi yǒudiǎn guì.
  English: This month’s electricity bill is a bit expensive.

• Chinese: 你交电费了吗？
  Pinyin: Nǐ jiāo diànfèi le ma?
  English: Have you paid the electricity bill?

• Chinese: 夏天开空调，电费会增加很多。
  Pinyin: Xiàtiān kāi kōngtiáo, diànfèi huì zēngjiā hěn duō.
  English: In summer, using the air conditioner will make the electricity bill go up a lot.

Cultural Notes (if applicable)

In China, 电费 is one of the common household utility costs, often mentioned together with:
- 水费 = water bill
- 燃气费 = gas bill
- 物业费 = property management fee

Many people pay these bills through mobile apps such as WeChat Pay or Alipay, so asking about 电费 is very common in daily life.

Conclusion

电费 (diàn fèi) means the cost of electricity, usually translated as electricity bill. It is a very practical everyday word, especially when talking about household expenses and utility payments.