小费
xiǎo fèi · HSK 6
tip
💰 small + expense — a small fee you add on top
小 means small, 费 means fee or expense. A tip is literally a small fee — a little extra cost you pay beyond the bill. The sounds 'shiao fay' even echo 'small fee' in English.
小 — three small strokes around a central vertical
小 is a pictograph originally showing three tiny dots or specks, suggesting small particles or grains. Over time the dots became stylized strokes flanking a central line. The core meaning 'small' has stayed remarkably stable from oracle bone script to today.
费 — 弓 bow + 弗 (phonetic 'fú/fèi')
费 is a phono-semantic compound. The bottom 贝 (cowrie shell, ancient money) gives the meaning 'cost/expense,' while 弗 on top supplies the sound. Originally it referred to spending money or wasting resources, and today it means 'fee,' 'expense,' or 'to consume.'