便宜

piányi

HSK 1

便宜 — piányi

1. cheap; inexpensive

   这件衣服很便宜。 zhèjiàn yīfú hěn piányi — This piece of clothing is very cheap.

2. a petty advantage; small profit

   他为了一点便宜争吵起来，令人遗憾。 tā wèile yìdiǎn piányi zhēngchǎo qǐlái lìngrényíhàn — He started arguing over a small advantage; it's regrettable.

3. to let somebody off lightly; to give a light punishment

   他这次违法只是被罚款了，很多人说太便宜了。 tā zhècì wéifǎ zhǐshì bèi fákuǎn le hěnduō rén shuō tài piányi le — He only received a fine for this offense; many people say it was too lenient.

便宜 — biànyí

1. to act at one's own discretion; to take the most convenient course of action; to benefit someone

   如果你手边有工具，就便宜行事，不用等我。 rúguǒ nǐ shǒubiān yǒu gōngjù jiù biànyíxíngshì bùyòng děng wǒ — If you have the tools on hand, just use your own judgment and act — no need to wait for me.