边

• Pinyin: biān
• Hanzi breakdown: 边 (biān) — side, edge, border; simplified from 邊

Meaning

Side; edge; border. Also used as a suffix in direction words like 左边, 右边, 旁边.

Used to indicate a side or edge of something, or a border/boundary. Extremely common as a directional suffix.

Examples

1. 学校旁边有一家小超市。 There is a small supermarket next to the school.
2. 请坐在我这边。 Please sit on this side with me.
3. 桌子边上放着一杯水。 A glass of water is placed on the edge of the table.

Usage Guide

Context: directions, locations, spatial description

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他站在门边。(He is standing by the door.)
• 左边是银行，右边是邮局。(The bank is on the left, the post office is on the right.)

Don't Say

• Avoid confusing 边 (biān, side/edge) with 遍 (biàn, measure word for times) — they have different tones and completely different meanings.

Origin & History

Single character with the original meaning of border or edge. Widely used in Classical and Modern Chinese to indicate spatial relationships.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal