方便面 (fāng biàn miàn) — instant noodles

Definition

A packaged noodle product you cook quickly in hot water — a specific type of food, while 快餐 (fast food) is the broader category of quick meals.

noun
instant noodles
Measure word · 包

Examples

  • 方便面。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì bāo fāng biàn miàn.
    I bought a pack of instant noodles.
  • 方便面?
    Nǐ xǐ huan chī nǎ zhǒng fāng biàn miàn?
    What kind of instant noodles do you like?
  • 方便面。
    Tā chī le yì wǎn fāng biàn miàn.
    He ate a bowl of instant noodles.

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.

方便convenient
方fāngconvenient便biànconvenient
联合Coordinate
面miànnoodles

方便 gives the idea of being easy and quick, and 面 names the noodles, so together they name noodles made convenient to eat.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 方 →

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

面 originally drew a man’s face, with one eye exaggerated; the horizontal stroke was added later.

Open 面 →

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