小便宜 (xiǎo pián yi) — petty advantage (gained at others' expense, usu…

Definition

Always appears in the phrase 占小便宜 — to grab a petty gain at others' expense. It is the small 'win' the cheater seeks, which backfires as in 占小便宜吃大亏.

noun

petty advantage (gained at others' expense, usually in the phrase 占小便宜)

小便宜，。
Tā zǒng ài zhàn xiǎo pián yi, dà jiā dōu bù xǐ huan tā.
He's always trying to get petty advantages; nobody likes him.
小便宜。
Zhàn xiǎo pián yi de rén wǎng wǎng chī dà kuī.
People who seek petty advantages often end up suffering big losses.
小便宜。
Bié wèi le zhàn xiǎo pián yi ér shī qù péng you.
Don't lose friends over seeking petty advantages.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

便宜advantage/gain

联合Side by side

小 (small) limits 便宜 (advantage/gain) to petty benefits.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

亻更便

便 pairs 亻 (person) with 更 (to change), showing a person changing posture to become comfortable.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

宜 shows 且, a sacrificial altar, with 多, two pieces of meat, depicting two pieces of meat placed on the altar.