非（非金属）

• Pinyin: fēi
• Hanzi breakdown: 非 = 非 (two halves facing away — opposition, negation; originally depicted two wings turned apart)

Meaning

Non- (prefix). Used to negate a category or classification, as in 非金属 (non-metal). Indicates 'not belonging to' the following category.

As a productive prefix, 非 attaches to nouns, adjectives, or categories to create their negation. Common in scientific, legal, and formal administrative language: 非金属 (non-metal), 非法 (illegal), 非官方 (unofficial), 非营利 (non-profit). More formal than 不.

Examples

1. 化学元素可依据其导电性、光泽度及延展性等物理属性被分为金属与非金属两大基本类别，碳、硫、氧等均属非金属元素。 Chemical elements can be divided into two basic categories—metals and nonmetals—based on physical properties such as electrical conductivity, luster, and ductility. Carbon, sulfur, and oxygen are all nonmetal elements.
2. 该组织在申报材料中明确标注其运营性质为非营利机构，不以股东利益最大化为目标，所有盈余须全部用于公益项目的扩展。 In its application materials, the organization clearly stated that it operates as a nonprofit. It does not aim to maximize shareholder value, and all surplus must be used to expand public benefit programs.
3. 这批货物在海关申报时被归入非管控类商品，理论上可享受简化通关程序，但因包装标识不规范仍遭到暂扣审查。 This shipment was classified as non-controlled goods when declared to customs, so in principle it could use simplified clearance procedures. However, it was still temporarily held for inspection because the packaging labels were not compliant.

Usage Guide

Context: science, law, administration, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在新修订的公司法框架下，非上市公众公司在信息披露义务和股权转让程序方面须遵循与上市公司相近但略有差异的监管要求。(Under the newly revised corporate law framework, non-listed public companies must comply with regulatory requirements in information disclosure obligations and equity transfer procedures that are similar to but slightly different from those of listed companies.)
• 硅属于典型的非金属元素，其半导体特性使其成为现代集成电路产业的核心基础材料，全球芯片生产几乎无一例外地依赖于高纯度硅的供应。(Silicon is a typical non-metal element; its semiconductor properties have made it the core foundational material of the modern integrated circuit industry, with global chip production almost without exception relying on the supply of high-purity silicon.)

Don't Say

• 非 interchangeably with 不 in all contexts — 非 as a prefix forms compound nouns or formal adjectives (非金属, 非法); 不 negates verbs and adjectives in regular speech; do not say 非好看 for 'not good-looking' — say 不好看

Origin & History

非 (not; wrong; to negate) — an ancient Chinese character depicting a pair of wings facing away from each other, conveying opposition or negation

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal