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便当 (biàn dāng) — convenient, handy

Definition

In mainland Chinese 便当 (biàndāng) is a regional/colloquial adjective for 'convenient', mostly heard in the northeast. In standard usage prefer 方便 for 'convenient'. (In Taiwan, 便当 also means a boxed meal.)

adjective
convenienthandy

Examples

  • 便当，。
    Zhè ge chāo shì de wèi zhì hěn biàn dāng, jiù zài wǒ jiā lóu xià.
    The location of this supermarket is very convenient, right downstairs from my home.
  • 便当，。
    Yòng shǒu jī zhī fù fēi cháng biàn dāng, bú yòng dài qián bāo.
    Paying with a mobile phone is very convenient, no need to carry a wallet.
  • 便当，。
    Zhù zài zhè lǐ hěn biàn dāng, fù jìn yǒu dì tiě zhàn hé shāng diàn.
    Living here is very convenient, there are subway stations and shops nearby.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

便biànconvenient
当dāngappropriate

便 means convenient and 当 means appropriate, so together they mean handy.

Characters in this word

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 →

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 當; 当 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng當dāng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

Open 当 →
Appears in
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