便 meaning and stroke order
Plain; informal; suitable
How to write 便, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 便
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- plain
- informal
- suitable
- convenient
- opportune
- to urinate or defecate
- used in 便宜[pian2 yi5]
- used in 便便[pian2 pian2]
- used in 便嬛[pian2 xuan1]
How 便 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 便
便 is a person 亻 next to 更 (gèng, more or to change). A person who changes things to make life more comfortable makes it convenient.
便 (biàn) appears mostly in compounds about ease and convenience, such as 方便 (fāngbiàn) and 随便 (suíbiàn). 随便 often means 'whatever you like' in casual speech: 你随便坐。(Nǐ suíbiàn zuò.) Sit wherever you like.
Common mistake: Learners often read 便宜 as biànyi, but in the everyday sense of 'cheap' it is piányi, with 便 read pián. Also do not confuse 便 with 使 (shǐ), which has the same 亻 on the left but a different right side.
Common words with 便
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 随便 | suíbiàn | as one wishes; as one pleases | HSK 2 |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient; suitable; to facilitate; to make things easy | HSK 2 |
| 便宜 | piányi | convenient | HSK 2 |
| 方便面 | fāngbiànmiàn | instant noodles | HSK 2 |
| 以便 | yǐbiàn | so that; so as to | HSK 5 |
| 便利 | biànlì | convenient; easy | HSK 5 |
| 便条 | biàntiáo | (informal) note | HSK 5 |
| 便于 | biànyú | easy to; convenient for | HSK 5 |
| 便是 | biàn shì | (emphasizes that sth is precisely or exactly as stated); precisely | HSK 6 |
| 不便 | bùbiàn | inconvenient; inappropriate | HSK 6 |
| 顺便 | shùnbiàn | conveniently; in passing | HSK 7-9 |
| 即便 | jíbiàn | even if; even though | HSK 7-9 |
| 粪便 | fènbiàn | excrement; feces | HSK 7-9 |
| 便利店 | biànlìdiàn | convenience store | HSK 7-9 |
便 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 便
Learning 便 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 便
How many strokes are in 便?
便 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 便 mean?
便 (biàn) means plain; informal; suitable. A common word with it is 随便 (suíbiàn), meaning "as one wishes; as one pleases".
How do you pronounce 便?
便 is pronounced biàn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 便?
The radical of 便 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 便 under this radical.
Is 便 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 便 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Does 随便 sound rude?
It depends on tone and context. 你随便 (nǐ suíbiàn) to a guest is polite and means 'make yourself at home'. Answering a question with just 随便 can sound careless or indifferent.
What does 便 mean on its own in written Chinese?
In formal or written Chinese, 便 can work like 就 (jiù), meaning 'then' or 'right away', as in 他一到便开始工作 (tā yí dào biàn kāishǐ gōngzuò), he started working as soon as he arrived. In speech, 就 is much more common.