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轻便 (qīng biàn) — light and portable; handy; convenient to carry

Definition

adjective
light and portablehandyconvenient to carry

Examples

  • 轻便。
    Zhè ge qīng biàn de xíng li xiāng hěn shì hé chū chāi yòng.
    This lightweight suitcase is very suitable for business trips.
  • 轻便。
    Tā mǎi le yí liàng qīng biàn de zhé dié zì xíng chē.
    She bought a portable folding bicycle.
  • 轻便。
    Zhè zhǒng cái liào jì qīng biàn yòu jiē shi.
    This material is both lightweight and sturdy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

轻qīnglight
便biànconvenient

轻 means light and 便 means convenient, so it describes something both light and handy.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 輕; 轻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng輕qīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輕 pairs 車, a carriage, with 巠 to give the sound; it originally named a light carriage. The simplified 轻 is only a later shorthand.

Open 轻 →

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

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

Open 便 →
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