bin1邊边
Jyutpingbin1
Yalebīn
Definition
Suffix used after directional or positional nouns.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
While 邊 is common in written Chinese, Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use 便 in spoken contexts for directions. You will frequently hear it attached to words like 左, 右, 前, and 後 to indicate physical orientation. It functions as a suffix that turns a directional concept into a specific location.
Examples
Where are you waiting for me?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse the suffix 邊 with the interrogative 邊度, which means where. Using 邊 as a suffix in casual speech can sound slightly formal or like a Mandarin-influenced accent, so stick to 便 for natural conversation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
