Meaning of 便
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- plain
- informal
- suitable
- convenient
- opportune
- to urinate or defecate
- equivalent to 就[jiu4]: then
- in that case
- used in 便宜[pian2 yi5]
- used in 便便[pian2 pian2]
- used in 便嬛[pian2 xuan1]
How to use 便
As an adverb, 便 (biàn) works like a more formal or written 就 (jiù), meaning then or right away. It also appears in many common words such as 方便 (fāngbiàn) and 随便 (suíbiàn). Example: 他一到家便睡了。(Tā yí dào jiā biàn shuì le.) He went to sleep as soon as he got home.
便 has the person radical 亻 on the left and 更 (gèng) on the right. Picture a person who changes things to make life easier, which links to its meaning of convenient.
Common mistake: Learners often read 便宜 as biànyí, but in the everyday sense of cheap it is piányi, with the first syllable pián. Also do not confuse 便 with 更 (gèng), which lacks the person radical.
便 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
便 biàn · plain · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 便.
| 随便 | suíbiàn | as one wishes; as one pleases |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient; suitable; to facilitate; to make things easy |
| 便宜 | piányi | convenient |
| 方便面 | fāngbiànmiàn | instant noodles |
| 以便 | yǐbiàn | so that; so as to |
| 便利 | biànlì | convenient; easy |
| 便条 | biàntiáo | (informal) note |
| 便于 | biànyú | easy to; convenient for |
| 便是 | biàn shì | (emphasizes that sth is precisely or exactly as stated); precisely |
| 不便 | bùbiàn | inconvenient; inappropriate |
| 顺便 | shùnbiàn | conveniently; in passing |
| 即便 | jíbiàn | even if; even though |
Questions about 便
What does 便 mean?
便 (biàn) means "plain; informal" and is used as a adverb and conjunction.
How do you write 便?
便 is made of 1 character: 便 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 便 an HSK word?
Yes. 便 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 便 and 就 meaning then?
They mean the same thing in sentences like 一...便/就..., but 便 sounds more formal and literary. In casual speech, 就 (jiù) is much more common.
Why does 便 relate to going to the bathroom?
One sense of 便 is to urinate or defecate, as in 大便 (dàbiàn) and 小便 (xiǎobiàn). The related phrase 方便一下 (fāngbiàn yíxià) is a polite way to say you need to use the restroom.