Meaning of 随便
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- as one wishes
- as one pleases
- at random
- negligent
- casual
- wanton
How to use 随便
随便 is very common in daily talk as a reply meaning "whatever" or "up to you," and it can also describe a casual or careless attitude. Example: 你想吃什么？随便。 (Nǐ xiǎng chī shénme? Suíbiàn.) What do you want to eat? Anything is fine.
随 (suí) means to follow, and 便 (biàn) means convenient, so 随便 is to follow whatever is convenient for you. Picture someone just going along with whatever is easiest.
Common mistake: Learners often read 便 here as pián, as in 便宜 (piányi), but in 随便 it is biàn, the same as in 方便 (fāngbiàn). Also, 随便 can sound careless or rude when describing behavior, as in 他很随便 (he is too casual), so it is not always a neutral compliment.
随便 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.
随 suí · to follow · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
便 biàn · plain · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
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- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 随便.
| 随时 | suíshí | at any time; at all times; at the right time; whenever necessary |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient; suitable; to facilitate; to make things easy |
| 便宜 | piányi | convenient |
| 方便面 | fāngbiànmiàn | instant noodles |
| 随手 | suíshǒu | conveniently; without extra trouble |
| 随着 | suízhe | along with; in the wake of |
| 随意 | suíyì | as one wishes; according to one's wishes |
| 跟随 | gēnsuí | to follow |
| 以便 | yǐbiàn | so that; so as to |
| 随后 | suíhòu | afterward; later; subsequently; following that |
| 便利 | biànlì | convenient; easy |
| 便条 | biàntiáo | (informal) note |
Questions about 随便
What does 随便 mean?
随便 (suíbiàn) means "as one wishes; as one pleases" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 随便?
随便 is made of 2 characters: 随 (11 strokes), 便 (9 strokes). That is 20 strokes in total.
Is 随便 an HSK word?
Yes. 随便 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 随便 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 随便 is written 隨便.
Is it rude to answer 随便 when someone asks what I want?
It is not rude among friends, but it can sound unhelpful or indifferent. Many Chinese people joke that 随便 is the hardest answer to deal with, so offering a real choice is often kinder.
How do I use 随便 to mean "no matter" or "any"?
Put 随便 before a question word to mean any at all, as in 随便哪天都行 (suíbiàn nǎ tiān dōu xíng), any day works. It can also be a verb phrase, as in 随便你 (suíbiàn nǐ), it is up to you.