adj.
cheap; inexpensive
便宜
cheap; inexpensive
Inexpensive or cheap; describes good prices or great value. Say 很便宜 (very cheap) or 便宜一点 (a bit cheaper).
Common Usage & Traps
- 很便宜 — very cheap
- 不便宜 — not cheap
- 便宜一点 — a little cheaper
- 便宜的东西 — cheap things
- 能便宜点吗 — can you make it cheaper?
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便宜很很便宜很 goes before 便宜, not after. The apple cheap very breaks Chinese word order.
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这个苹果是便宜这个苹果很便宜 / 这个苹果便宜是 connects nouns. It does not sit before a describing word like 便宜.
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我便宜买了这个我买得很便宜 / 我买得便宜便宜 describes the result after the verb. English puts cheap before bought; Chinese puts it after.
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他很便宜他很小气 / 他很抠门便宜 describes price. Calling a person 便宜 sounds insulting and often sexual, not stingy.
Is 便宜 pronounced pián yi or biàn yí?
It is pián yi. The 便 is second tone and 宜 goes neutral.
便 often reads biàn in 方便, so learners guess biàn yí for 便宜. But cheap is pián yi, with a second-tone 便 and a soft, toneless 宜. If you say biàn yí, you are not saying cheap. The old word 便宜 biàn yí means convenience or advantage, but modern daily Chinese uses 便宜 pián yi for cheap.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | pián yi | biàn yí |
| Tone pattern | second tone + soft | fourth tone + second tone |
| Meaning | cheap | old word for advantage/convenience |
Can I call my friend's new jacket 便宜?
You can, but 不贵 is safer for someone's new purchase.
便宜 is fine for things you are buying yourself or for budget goods. When you comment on a friend's new jacket, 很便宜 can hint it is low quality. 不贵 means not expensive, which sounds neutral and polite. So if the jacket looks nice, say 不贵 or 挺好看的, not 很便宜.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Friend's new jacket | 不贵吧？ | 很便宜吧？ |
| Gift to coworker | 不贵，一点心意 | 很便宜，一点心意 |
Do I need 是 before 便宜?
Drop 是. Say 大苹果很便宜, not 大苹果是便宜.
是 links two nouns, like A is B. It does not sit before a describing word like 便宜. To say something is cheap, use 很便宜 or just 便宜. 很 often makes the sentence sound complete, but it does not always mean very. The story sentence uses this pattern with no 是.
“大苹果很便宜，小苹果很贵。” (The big apples were very cheap, and the small apples were very expensive.)
“大苹果很便宜，小苹果很贵。” (The big apples were very cheap, and the small apples were very expensive.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Simple statement | 大苹果很便宜 | 大苹果是便宜 |
| Contrast | 大苹果便宜，小苹果贵 | 大苹果是便宜，小苹果是贵 |
| Question | 这个苹果便宜吗？ | 这个苹果是便宜吗？ |
Can I call a stingy friend 便宜?
No. 便宜 means low price, not stingy. Say 他很小气.
English cheap covers both low price and stingy. Chinese 便宜 only covers low price. If you call a person 便宜, it sounds insulting and often suggests they are sexually cheap. For stingy, use 小气 or 抠门. So 我朋友很便宜 is a bad translation of my friend is cheap.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Stingy friend | 我朋友很小气 | 我朋友很便宜 |
| Low price item | 这个很便宜 | 这个人很便宜 |
| Bargain hunter | 他很会省钱 | 他很便宜 |
Appears in Stories 4 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
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结果第二天对方笑着砍了他五个点的价，一边还看着他眼睛说，看你昨天吃东西的样子就知道你这人没坏心眼，肯定没跟我们要高价，就 便宜 百分之五吧。
This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.
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大苹果很 便宜 ，小苹果很贵。
Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.
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看病非常贵，吃饭不 便宜 。
Meet Xiao Shang, who is heading back to Shanghai. She compares two ways to travel and tells us why she prefers the slower one. This story helps you practice comparing transportation in simple Chinese.
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坐火车比坐飞机 便宜 得多，去飞机场也要花很多时间，所以，小商觉得坐火车比坐飞机好。
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