花费 (huā fèi) is a verb meaning 'to spend'—most commonly money, but also time, energy, or effort. The first character 花 (huā) literally means 'flower', but in this compound it carries the extended meaning of 'to expend' or 'to use up', as in spending resources. The second character 费 (fèi) means 'expense', 'cost', or 'effort', reinforcing the idea of something being consumed or required. Together, they form a formal yet common verb used in both spoken and written Chinese, especially when emphasizing the quantity or significance of what is spent.

This word often appears with numerical phrases or measure words, such as 两个小时 (two hours), 一百元 (100 yuan), or 很多精力 (a lot of energy). It frequently follows subjects like 我, 他, or 这个项目 (this project), and typically precedes the object (e.g., 时间, 钱, 努力). While similar to 花 (huā) alone, 花费 is more precise and slightly more formal—often preferred in writing or when specifying measurable expenditure.