边 (biān) — side; edge; border; margin; (suffix) used to form location words (e.g., 上边, 下边, 左边, 右边)
Definition
边 (biān) means the side or edge of something — physical borders (river bank, table edge) or a position (left/right side). It also attaches to direction words to mean '-side' (上边, 左边).
noun
sideedgebordermargin
suffix
used to form location words (e.g., 上边, 下边, 左边, 右边)
Measure word · 个
Easily confused
Examples
- 。Hé biān yǒu shuǐ.There is water by the river.
- 。Tā zài wǒ zuǒ biān.He is on my left.
- 。Zhuō zi de biān shàng yǒu yì běn shū.There is a book on the edge of the table.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today
The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.
Grammar
Appears in
Browse more HSK 1 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.