noun / suffix HSK 2
Traditional 邊
side · edge · border · margin
Meaning
边 refers to the side, edge, or border of something. It can indicate physical boundaries (like the edge of a table) or abstract ones (like the side of a road). As a suffix, it often appears after location words to mean 'beside' or 'next to'.
Usage
Commonly used as a noun suffix in location expressions like 旁边 (pángbiān, 'beside'), 外边 (wàibiān, 'outside'), 里边 (lǐbiān, 'inside'). Also used in the 一边...一边... (yìbiān...yìbiān...) pattern meaning 'while doing X, also doing Y'. Native speakers use it frequently in everyday directional and spatial contexts.
Examples
- 01我家旁边有一家超市。.There's a supermarket next to my home.
- 02她一边听音乐一边做作业。.She listens to music while doing homework.
Common collocations
- 旁边beside, next to
- 外边outside
- 里边inside
- 一边...一边.........while..., at the same time...
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional form 邊 shows the 辶 (walking) radical combined with phonetic and semantic components suggesting movement along a border or boundary.