diànfèi: 电费 - Electricity Bill, Electricity Fee

• Keywords: dianfei, 电费, electricity bill in Chinese, how to say electricity fee in Chinese, paying bills in China, Chinese utility bills, what is dianfei, 电费 meaning, apartment costs in China, living in China vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 电费 (diànfèi), which means “electricity bill” or “electricity fee.” This is a fundamental vocabulary term for anyone living, working, or studying in China, as you'll encounter it when renting an apartment, managing household expenses, and dealing with daily life. This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural context, practical usage for paying bills in modern China (e.g., via WeChat or Alipay), and provides numerous example sentences to help you master this crucial term.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): diànfèi
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: The fee or charge for the consumption of electricity.
• In a Nutshell: 电费 (diànfèi) is the direct and most common way to say “electricity bill.” It's a simple compound word, just like “water bill” (水费, shuǐfèi) or “internet bill” (网费, wǎngfèi). If you live in China, you will need to pay the 电费 every month, so this word is non-negotiable for practical, daily survival.

• 电 (diàn): This character originally depicted a lightning bolt stretching from the clouds to the ground. Today, it's the standard character for “electricity,” “electric,” or “lightning.”
• 费 (fèi): This character means “fee,” “cost,” “expense,” or “to spend.” It signifies a charge for a service or product.
• The combination is perfectly logical: 电 (electricity) + 费 (fee) = 电费 (electricity fee).

While a utility bill might seem culturally neutral, how 电费 (diànfèi) is handled in China reveals a lot about modern life and societal values.

• Payment Methods: In the West, paying bills often involves mail, bank transfers, or auto-pay from a credit card. In modern China, paying the 电费 is almost exclusively done through mobile payment apps like Alipay (支付宝, Zhīfùbǎo) or WeChat Pay (微信支付, Wēixìn Zhīfù). You can simply scan a QR code on the bill or enter your account number in the app's “Utilities” section to pay instantly. This reflects the country's rapid digitization of daily life.
• Tiered Pricing (阶梯电价, jiētī diànjià): Unlike the flat-rate or simple peak/off-peak systems common in many Western countries, China widely employs a “tiered pricing” model for residential electricity. The more you use, the higher the rate per kilowatt-hour becomes. This government policy is designed to encourage 节约 (jiéyuē), or “frugality/conservation,” a deeply ingrained cultural value. It also means that complaining “这个月的电费太高了！” (This month's electricity bill is too high!) is a very common summer lament when air conditioners are running constantly.
• Pre-paid vs. Post-paid: Many Chinese apartments, especially rentals, use pre-paid electricity meters. Instead of receiving a bill for past usage, you must “top up” (充值, chōngzhí) your account in advance. If your balance hits zero, the power cuts off instantly. This system is convenient for landlords and ensures bills are always paid, but it can be a surprise for foreigners used to post-paid systems. You are essentially “buying electricity” before you use it, and this purchase is still referred to as paying 电费.

电费 is a high-frequency word in daily conversations about household matters.

• Paying the Bill: The most common action associated with 电费 is paying it. The verb used is 交 (jiāo), which means “to hand in” or “to pay.”
  • “我得去交电费了。” (Wǒ děi qù jiāo diànfèi le.) - I have to go pay the electricity bill.
• Discussing the Cost: People often talk about the amount of their 电费, especially when it's unusually high or low.
  • “你家一个月的电费大概多少钱？” (Nǐ jiā yí ge yuè de diànfèi dàgài duōshao qián?) - About how much is your family's monthly electricity bill?
• In Rental Agreements: When renting an apartment, understanding how the 电费 is handled is critical. The key question is whether it's included in the rent.
  • “房租包不包电费？” (Fángzū bāo bù bāo diànfèi?) - Does the rent include the electricity bill? (“包” means “to include/wrap”).

• Example 1:
  • 别忘了这个月要交电费。
  • Pinyin: Bié wàngle zhège yuè yào jiāo diànfèi.
  • English: Don't forget to pay the electricity bill this month.
  • Analysis: A common reminder between roommates or family members. The verb 交 (jiāo) is standard for paying bills.
• Example 2:
  • 夏天的电费总是特别高，因为要一直开空调。
  • Pinyin: Xiàtiān de diànfèi zǒngshì tèbié gāo, yīnwèi yào yìzhí kāi kōngtiáo.
  • English: The electricity bill in the summer is always especially high because we have to run the air conditioner constantly.
  • Analysis: This sentence provides a reason for a high bill, a very common topic of conversation.
• Example 3:
  • 你能帮我看看怎么在微信上交电费吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng bāng wǒ kànkan zěnme zài Wēixìn shàng jiāo diànfèi ma?
  • English: Can you help me see how to pay the electricity bill on WeChat?
  • Analysis: This reflects the modern reality of bill payment in China.
• Example 4:
  • 我们的电费是两个月交一次。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de diànfèi shì liǎng ge yuè jiāo yí cì.
  • English: We pay our electricity bill once every two months.
  • Analysis: Shows how to talk about the frequency of payment.
• Example 5:
  • 房东说，房租里不包括水费和电费。
  • Pinyin: Fángdōng shuō, fángzū lǐ bù bāokuò shuǐfèi hé diànfèi.
  • English: The landlord said the rent does not include the water bill and the electricity bill.
  • Analysis: An essential sentence for anyone renting an apartment in China.
• Example 6:
  • 糟糕，我忘了交电费，家里停电了！
  • Pinyin: Zāogāo, wǒ wàngle jiāo diànfèi, jiā lǐ tíngdiàn le!
  • English: Oh no, I forgot to pay the electricity bill, and the power is out at home!
  • Analysis: This illustrates the direct consequence of not paying the bill, especially with pre-paid meters. 停电 (tíngdiàn) means “power outage.”
• Example 7:
  • 这个月的电费账单出来了吗？
  • Pinyin: Zhège yuè de diànfèi zhàngdān chūlái le ma?
  • English: Has this month's electricity bill (statement) come out yet?
  • Analysis: Introduces the more formal word 账单 (zhàngdān), which means “bill” or “statement.” 电费 is often used by itself, but 电费账单 is also correct.
• Example 8:
  • 为了省电费，我们出门时都会关灯。
  • Pinyin: Wèile shěng diànfèi, wǒmen chūmén shí dōu huì guān dēng.
  • English: In order to save on the electricity bill, we always turn off the lights when we go out.
  • Analysis: Connects the term to the cultural value of saving money and being frugal (省, shěng).
• Example 9:
  • 如果你用电磁炉做饭，电费会高很多。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ yòng diàncílú zuòfàn, diànfèi huì gāo hěn duō.
  • English: If you use an induction cooker for cooking, the electricity bill will be much higher.
  • Analysis: A practical sentence discussing factors that affect the bill's amount.
• Example 10:
  • 我刚用支付宝付了电费，很方便。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ gāng yòng Zhīfùbǎo fùle diànfèi, hěn fāngbiàn.
  • English: I just paid the electricity bill using Alipay, it's very convenient.
  • Analysis: Another example of modern payment methods. 付 (fù) is a slightly more formal verb for “to pay” than 交 (jiāo), but both are common.

• Mistake 1: Confusing the “fee” with the “thing”.
  • English speakers might mistakenly use 电费 to mean “electricity” or “power.” This is incorrect. 电费 is the money you pay, while 电 (diàn) is the electricity itself.
  • Incorrect: `我的手机没有电费了。` (Wǒ de shǒujī méiyǒu diànfèi le.) - Literally, “My phone has no electricity fee.”
  • Correct: `我的手机没电了。` (Wǒ de shǒujī méi diàn le.) - “My phone is out of battery.”
• Mistake 2: Using it for “charging”.
  • You cannot use 电费 to talk about the act of charging a device. The word for “to charge” (as in a battery) is 充电 (chōngdiàn).
  • Incorrect: `我需要给我的电脑付电费。` (Wǒ xūyào gěi wǒ de diànnǎo fù diànfèi.)
  • Correct: `我需要给我的电脑充电。` (Wǒ xūyào gěi wǒ de diànnǎo chōngdiàn.) - “I need to charge my computer.”

• 水费 (shuǐfèi) - Water bill. The direct equivalent for water.
• 燃气费 (ránqìfèi) - Gas bill. Used for natural gas.
• 网费 (wǎngfèi) - Internet bill.
• 物业费 (wùyèfèi) - Property management fee, a common fee in Chinese apartment complexes that covers cleaning, security, etc.
• 账单 (zhàngdān) - Bill, statement. A more general term that can apply to credit cards, restaurant bills, etc. 电费 is a type of 账单.
• 交 (jiāo) - To pay, to hand in. The most common verb used with utility bills.
• 费用 (fèiyong) - Expense, cost. A more formal and broader term for 'fee'. 电费 is a specific type of 费用.
• 停电 (tíngdiàn) - Power outage, blackout. The result of not paying your 电费.
• 节约 (jiéyuē) - To save, to conserve, to be frugal. The cultural value promoted by tiered electricity pricing.
• 电 (diàn) - Electricity, power. The resource for which you pay the 电费.