性价比 (xìng jià bǐ) — cost-performance ratio; value for money

Definition

性价比 (xìngjiàbǐ) is a noun meaning 'how much quality you get for the price' — a property of a product, not a judgment. Unlike 划算, which says a purchase is a good deal, 性价比 names the ratio itself.

noun
cost-performance ratiovalue for money

Examples

  • 性价比。
    Zhè tái diàn nǎo de xìng jià bǐ hěn gāo.
    This computer has a very high cost-performance ratio.
  • ，性价比。
    Mǎi shǒu jī de shí hou, wǒ zuì kàn zhòng xìng jià bǐ.
    When buying a phone, I value cost-performance ratio the most.
  • 性价比。
    Zhè liǎng gè chǎn pǐn de xìng jià bǐ chà bu duō.
    The cost-performance ratio of these two products is similar.

Origin

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.

性价performance-price
性xìngperformance价jiàprice
联合Side by side
比bǐratio

The 性 (performance) and 价 (price) are compared in a 比 (ratio), meaning value for money.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
介
介jiè价jiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

价 pairs 人 (person) with 介, which gives the sound.

Open 价 →

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

  • 匕匕bǐ
  • 匕匕bǐ

比 is two 匕 placed side by side. Chu Wan-li treats both as sound parts, while an old reading takes the side-by-side arrangement as putting things next to each other.

Open 比 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Shopping & Errands

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