Chinese word

不便

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù biàn

Meaning

  • adjectiveinconvenient

Example

去超市很不便，我通常网购。qù chāo shì hěn bú biàn wǒ tōng cháng wǎng gòu

Going to the supermarket is inconvenient, so I usually shop online.

Illustration for 不便 (inconvenient)

More examples

这个软件界面不直观，使用不便。zhè ge ruǎn jiàn jiè miàn bù zhí guān shǐ yòng bú biàn

The software's interface is not intuitive, so it is hard to use.

Core concept

A normal activity becomes harder because a place, tool, or process adds extra steps, time, or effort.

Common phrases

  • 生活不便shēng huó bú biàn

    inconvenient daily life

  • 出行不便chū xíng bú biàn

    inconvenient travel

  • 使用不便shǐ yòng bú biàn

    hard to use

Similar words

不方便bù fāng biàn: Lacking the ease needed for normal use, travel, or access.
麻烦má fán: Awkward to handle because a task involves bothersome extra work.
困难kùn nán: Difficult to complete or resolve without considerable effort.

Definition in Chinese

指事情或地点在使用、通行或处理上存在障碍或不便之处，因而需要额外时间、精力或步骤才能完成相关活动。zhǐ shì qíng huò dì diǎn zài shǐ yòng tōng xíng huò chú lǐ shàng cún zài zhàng ài huò bú biàn zhī chù yīn ér xū yào é wài shí jiān jīng lì huò bù zhòu cái néng wán chéng xiāng guān huó dòng

Word origin

不 (bù, "not") + 便 (biàn, "convenient") literally presents a situation as lacking the ease needed for ordinary use or movement.

Usage tips

  • This adjective commonly follows a subject such as a place, activity, or service, making it a compact way to explain a practical obstacle without assigning blame.

Other meanings

  • hard to useadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word