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Definition 2024

便

便

便 U+4FBF, 便
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4FBF
← 侾
[U+4FBE] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 俀 →
[U+4FC0]
See also: 使

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

便 (radical 9 人+7, 9 strokes, cangjie input 人一中大 (OMLK), four-corner 21246, composition ⿰亻更)

References

  • KangXi: page 103, character 32
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 659
  • Dae Jaweon: page 219, character 10
  • Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 1, page 157, character 3
  • Unihan data for U+4FBF

Chinese

simp. and trad.
 便

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 便
Bronze inscriptions Large seal script Small seal script
Bronze inscriptions

b12352
Large seal script

L32033

L32034

L32035

L32036

L32037

L32038

L32039

L32040

L32041

L07218

L07219
Small seal script

s05800
References:

Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including:

  • Shuowen Jiezi (small seal),
  • Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions),
  • Liushutong (large seal) and
  • Xu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).
Characters in the same phonetic series (便) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
鞭 *pen
鯾 *pen
箯 *pen, *ben
便 *ben, *bens
緶 *ben, *peːnʔ
楩 *ben, *benʔ

Ideogrammic compound (會意) : 亻 ‎(“person”) + 更 ‎(“to change”) – to change one's posture to make oneself comfortable.

Pronunciation 1

Rime
Character 便
Reading # 2/2
Initial (聲) 並 (3)
Final (韻) 仙 (77)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 婢面切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang		 /biᴇnH/
Pan
Wuyun		 /biɛnH/
Shao
Rongfen		 /bjænH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank		 /bianH/
Li
Rong		 /biɛnH/
Wang
Li		 /bĭɛnH/
Bernard
Karlgren		 /bʱi̯ɛnH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex		 biàn
Baxter-Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 便
Reading # 1/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)		 biàn
Middle
Chinese		 ‹ bjienH ›
Old
Chinese		 /*[b]e[n]-s/
English comfortable; advantageous

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter-Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 便
Reading # 2/2
No. 778
Phonetic
component		 便
Rime
group		 元
Rime
subdivision		 2
Corresponding
MC rime		 便
Old
Chinese		 /*bens/

Definitions

便

  1. convenient; handy
    • 方便  ―  fāngbiàn  ―  convenient, suitable
    • 便利  ―  biànlì  ―  convenient, easy
    • 簡便 / 简便  ―  jiǎnbiàn  ―  convenient, handy
  2. to go a long way in; to serve the interests of; to benefit; to make convenient
  3. nimble; agile
  4. informal; ordinary; plain
    • 便衣  ―  biànyī  ―  civilian clothes
    • 便服  ―  biànfú  ―  informal clothes, everyday clothes
    • 便函  ―  biànhán  ―  informal letter
  5. human waste; excretion
    • 小便  ―  xiǎobiàn  ―  to urinate
    • 大便  ―  dàbiàn  ―  to defecate
    • 便器  ―  biànqì  ―  toilet
    • 糞便 / 粪便  ―  fènbiàn  ―  excrement, feces
  6. soon afterward; as soon as
  7. then
  8. even if; even though

Compounds

Pronunciation 2

Rime
Character 便
Reading # 1/2
Initial (聲) 並 (3)
Final (韻) 仙 (77)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 房連切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang		 /biᴇn/
Pan
Wuyun		 /biɛn/
Shao
Rongfen		 /bjæn/
Edwin
Pulleyblank		 /bian/
Li
Rong		 /biɛn/
Wang
Li		 /bĭɛn/
Bernard
Karlgren		 /bʱi̯ɛn/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex		 pián
Baxter-Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 便
Reading # 2/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)		 pián
Middle
Chinese		 ‹ bjien ›
Old
Chinese		 /*[b]e[n]/
English glib-tongued

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter-Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 便
Reading # 1/2
No. 773
Phonetic
component		 便
Rime
group		 元
Rime
subdivision		 2
Corresponding
MC rime		 便
Old
Chinese		 /*ben/
Notes 金文象執鞭抽人背，右爲鞭初文，非更字

Definitions

便

  1. †quiet and comfortable
  2. †slim and graceful
  3. †nimble
  4. †eloquent
  5. cheap; inexpensive
    便宜  ―  piányi  ―  cheap

Compounds

Japanese

Kanji

便

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

Compounds

Related terms

  • 下り便
  • 便じる
  • 便ずる
  • 便の有り次第
  • 便る

Etymology 1

Adjectival noun

便 ‎(-na inflection, hiragana べん, romaji ben)

  1. convenient
Inflection

Noun

便 ‎(hiragana べん, romaji ben)

  1. a convenience
  2. facilities
  3. bowel movement
Synonyms

Etymology 2

Noun

便 ‎(hiragana びん, romaji bin)

  1. a flight
  2. mail
  3. (bus) service

See also

Etymology 3

Noun

便 ‎(hiragana よすが, romaji yosuga)

  1. way, means
  2. reminder
Synonyms

Korean

Hanja

便 • ‎(pyeon, byeon) (hangeul 편, 변, revised pyeon, byeon, McCune-Reischauer p'yŏn, pyŏn)

  1. convenience, ease, comfortability
  2. stool

words

  • 편안 ‎(pyeonan)(便安)
  • 불편 ‎(bulpyeon)(不便)
  • 변소 ‎(byeonso)(便所)
  • 편안 ‎(pyeonan)(便安)
  • 편리 ‎(pyeolli)(便利)
  • 형편 ‎(hyeongpyeon)(形便)

Vietnamese

Han character

便 (tiện, biền)

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

References

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