便 biàn convenient
convenient; then
biàn (convenient) and pián (as in cheap) - 方便 fāngbiàn, 便宜 piányi
How to remember 便: 亻 person + 更 even more = convenient. The student finds a person to share her flat who also cooks, which makes life even more convenient than living at home.
Component breakdown
便 = 亻 person + 更 even more
- 亻 person
- 更 even more
The student finds a person to share her flat who also cooks, which makes life even more convenient than living at home.
How it came to be
A person with a hand changing something beside it. Somebody altering a thing to suit themselves: convenient is what that produces, and the character has two readings.
How it is used
- Read biàn it means convenient / then - 方便 (fāngbiàn) convenient, 随便 (suíbiàn) as you like / whatever, 顺便 (shùnbiàn) while you're at it.
- Read pián only in 便宜 (piányi) cheap - a common trap.
Characters built with 便
Words with 便
- 便宜piányicheapHSK 1
- 方便fāngbiànconvenientHSK 3
- 方便面fāngbiànmiàninstant noodlesHSK 3
- 随便suíbiànas one pleasesHSK 4
- 顺便shùnbiànconvenientlyHSK 4
- 不便búbiàninconvenientHSK 4
- 便于biànyúeasy toHSK 4
- 便利biànlìconvenientHSK 5
- 便利店biànlìdiànconvenience storeHSK 5
- 以便yǐbiànso thatHSK 6
- 便捷biànjiéconvenient and fastHSK 6
- 即便jíbiàneven ifHSK 6
- 便饭biànfànan ordinary mealHSK 7
- 便携式biànxiéshìportableHSK 8
- 粪便fènbiànexcrementHSK 9
Example sentences
- 这件衣服很便宜。 Zhè jiàn yīfu hěn piányi.These clothes are very cheap.
- 有了汽车很方便。 Yǒule qìchē hěn fāngbiàn.It's very convenient to have a car.
- 他的穿着很随便。 Tā de chuānzhuó hěn suíbiàn.He is dressed very casually.
- 她工作之余顺便在巴黎游玩。 Tā gōngzuò zhī yú shùnbiàn zài Bālí yóuwán.She travels to Paris when she gets time off from work.