方便

Chinese

		square; quadrilateral; place square; quadrilateral; place; region; direction; side; method; way; prescription; power; upright; just	advantageous; cheap; ordinary advantageous; cheap; ordinary; plain; convenient; handy; easy; then; so; thus; to relieve oneself
simp. and trad. (方便)		方	便

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): fāngbiàn

  (Zhuyin): ㄈㄤ ㄅㄧㄢˋ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): фонбян (fonbi͡an, I-I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): fong¹ bin⁶

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): fong¹ ben⁵

• Gan (Wiktionary): 'fong¹ pien⁵
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): fông-phien

  (Meixian, Guangdong): fong¹ piên⁴

• Eastern Min (BUC): huŏng-biêng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): hong-piān

  (Teochew, Peng'im): huang¹ biêng⁶ / huang¹ biang⁶

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ¹faon-bi₆

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: fāngbiàn → fāngbian (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Zhuyin: ㄈㄤ ㄅㄧㄢˋ → ㄈㄤ ˙ㄅㄧㄢ (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Tongyong Pinyin: fangbiån
    • Wade–Giles: fang¹-pien⁵
    • Yale: fāng-byan
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: fang.biann
    • Palladius: фанбянь (fanbjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɑŋ⁵⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹/ → /fɑŋ⁵⁵ b̥i̯ɛn²/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: фонбян (fonbi͡an, I-I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɑŋ²⁴ piæ̃²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: fong¹ bin⁶
    • Yale: fōng bihn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: fong¹ bin⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: fong¹ bin⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɔːŋ⁵⁵ piːn²²/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: fong¹ ben⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɔŋ³³ pen³²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: 'fong¹ pien⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˈfɔŋ⁴² pʰiɛn¹¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: fông-phien
    • Hakka Romanization System: fong^ˊ pien
    • Hagfa Pinyim: fong¹ pian⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /foŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ pʰi̯en⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: fong¹ piên⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /fɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ pʰiɛn⁵³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: huŏng-biêng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /huoŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ^(p-)miɛŋ²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hong-piān
    • Tâi-lô: hong-piān
    • Phofsit Daibuun: hongpien
    • IPA (Xiamen): /hɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² piɛn²²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /hɔŋ³³ piɛn⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /hɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² piɛn²²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /hɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ piɛn³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /hɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ piɛn³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: huang¹ biêng⁶ / huang¹ biang⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: huang piĕng / huang piăng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /huaŋ³³⁻²³ pieŋ³⁵/, /huaŋ³³⁻²³ piaŋ³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ¹faon-bi₆
    • MiniDict: faon^平 bi^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹faan-bi₃
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /fɑ̃⁵⁵ bi²¹/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /fɑ̃⁴⁴ bi/

---

• Middle Chinese: pjang bjienH

Rime
Character	方	便
Reading #	2/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	幫 (1)	並 (3)
Final (韻)	陽 (106)	仙 (77)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	府良切	婢面切
Baxter	pjang	bjienH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/pʉɐŋ/	/biᴇnH/
Pan Wuyun	/pʷiɐŋ/	/biɛnH/
Shao Rongfen	/piuɑŋ/	/bjænH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/puaŋ/	/bianH/
Li Rong	/piuaŋ/	/biɛnH/
Wang Li	/pĭwaŋ/	/bĭɛnH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/piwaŋ/	/bʱi̯ɛnH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	fāng	biàn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	fong1	bin6

Adjective

方便

1. convenient

   更加方便  ―  gèngjiā fāngbiàn  ―  even more convenient

   這個服務很方便。 [MSC, trad.]
   这个服务很方便。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè ge fúwù hěn fāngbiàn. [Pinyin]

   This service is very convenient.

   這個技術能讓我們的生活更方便。 [MSC, trad.]
   这个技术能让我们的生活更方便。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè ge jìshù néng ràng wǒmen de shēnghuó gèng fāngbiàn. [Pinyin]

   This technology can make our lives more convenient.

2. available; free (to do something)

   我五點不方便。／我五点不方便。  ―  Wǒ wǔ diǎn bù fāngbiàn.  ―  I'm not available at five o'clock.

3. suitable; appropriate

   這裡說話不方便。 [MSC, trad.]
   这里说话不方便。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhèlǐ shuōhuà bù fāngbiàn. [Pinyin]

   This isn't the right place to talk about it.

4. (euphemistic) having extra money; having money to spare

   你方便的話，借我五十元。 [MSC, trad.]
   你方便的话，借我五十元。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ fāngbiàn dehuà, jiè wǒ wǔshí yuán. [Pinyin]

   Could you spare me 50 yuan?

Synonyms

• (convenient):

edit

• 便利 (biànlì)
• 便宜 (biànyí)
• 便易 (bīng-ĭ) (Northern Min)
• 便民 (biànmín) (attributive, of a shop, service, etc.)
• 便當 / 便当 (regional)
• 利便 (lìbiàn) (literary or Hakka, Eastern Min, Southern Min, Puxian Min)
• 就手 (zau⁶ sau²) (Cantonese)
• 快便 (Quanzhou Hokkien, Xiamen Hokkien)
• 省事 (shěngshì)
• 簡便 / 简便 (jiǎnbiàn)
• 順手 / 顺手 (shùnshǒu)

 

Derived terms

• 方便食品 (fāngbiàn shípǐn)
• 方便麵 / 方便面 (fāngbiànmiàn)

 

Verb

方便

1. (transitive) to make convenient; to provide convenience; to make things easy for people; to facilitate

   為了方便學生購買回家車票，學校已開展各種活動。 [MSC, trad.]
   为了方便学生购买回家车票，学校已开展各种活动。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wèile fāngbiàn xuéshēng gòumǎi huíjiā chēpiào, xuéxiào yǐ kāizhǎn gèzhǒng huódòng. [Pinyin]

   The school has launched a number of programs to make it convenient for students to purchase tickets home.

2. (Mandarin, euphemistic, intransitive) to use the toilet (bathroom); to relieve oneself

   我想去方便一下。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Wǒ xiǎng qù fāngbiàn yīxià. [Pinyin]

   I'd like to go to the bathroom.

Synonyms

• (to make convenient): 便利 (biànlì)
• (to relieve oneself): 便溺 (biànniào), 解手 (jiěshǒu), 解溲 (jiěsōu)

Noun

方便

1. (Buddhism) upāya; heuristic or provisional reasoning

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (方便):

• → Japanese: 方便(ほうべん) (hōben)
• → Korean: 방편(方便) (bangpyeon)
• → Vietnamese: phương tiện (方便)

Others:

• → Zhuang: fuengbienh

Further reading

• “Entry #993”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2024.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
方	便
ほう Grade: 2	べん Grade: 4
on'yomi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ho̞ːbẽ̞ɴ]

Noun

方(ほう)便(べん) • (hōben) 

1. expedient, means

   嘘(うそ)も方便(ほうべん)

   uso mo hōben

   circumstances may justify a lie

Korean

Hanja in this term
方	便

Noun

方便 • (bangpyeon) (hangeul 방편)

1. hanja form^? of 방편 (“expedient, means”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
方	便

Noun

方便

1. chữ Hán form of phương tiện (“method”).