非法 (fēi fǎ) — illegal in Mandarin
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#1261 most common word · HSK 6 · CEFR C2
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
非法 is pronounced fēi fǎ. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Fàndú shì fēi fǎ de fànzuì xíngwéi.
Drug trafficking is an illegal crime.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 非法 mean?+
非法 (fēi fǎ) means "illegal" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 非法?+
非法 is pronounced fēi fǎ. It uses the tone 1 (high flat), then the tone 3 (rising/dipping). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 非法 in Mandarin?+
非法 is the #1261 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 非法 fits
Every HSK 6 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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