noun HSK 5
Traditional 廢氣
fèi
waste gas · exhaust fumes · emissions

Meaning

废气 refers to gases released as byproducts of combustion or industrial processes that are no longer useful and often harmful. It most commonly describes vehicle exhaust or factory emissions that pollute the air.

Usage

This term is widely used in environmental and automotive contexts. Native speakers commonly use it when discussing air pollution, car emissions, or industrial waste. It appears frequently in news about environmental protection and public health.

Examples

  1. 01
    这个城市的空气污染主要来自汽车废气
    Zhège chéng shì de kōng rǎn zhǔ yào lái chē fèi .
    The air pollution in this city mainly comes from vehicle exhaust.
  2. 02
    工厂必须安装设备来处理废气排放。
    Gōng chǎng ān zhuāng shè bèi lái chǔ fèi pái fàng.
    Factories must install equipment to treat waste gas emissions.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 汽车废气
    chē fèi
    automobile exhaust
  • 排放废气
    pái fàng fèi
    to emit waste gases
  • 工业废气
    gōng fèi
    industrial waste gas
  • 废气处理
    fèi chǔ
    waste gas treatment

Antonyms

Origin

The word combines 废 (waste/discarded) with 气 (gas/air) to literally mean 'waste gas.' It emerged as a standard term during China's industrialization to describe harmful emissions.

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