'便宜' (pián yi) is an adjective meaning 'cheap' or 'inexpensive', describing something that costs relatively little money. Though written with two characters—'便' (convenient, easy) and '宜' (suitable, proper)—together they form a fixed compound expressing low price, not literal convenience or suitability. This word is commonly used in everyday shopping contexts, bargaining, or comparing prices, especially in informal spoken Chinese. It often appears after the noun it modifies (e.g., 这件衣服很便宜) or as a predicate (e.g., 苹果今天便宜). The tone on '宜' is second tone (yí), not fourth tone—mispronouncing it as yì changes the meaning entirely.

Unlike formal synonyms like 经济 (jīng jì, 'economical') or 实惠 (shí huì, 'good value'), 便宜 carries a neutral-to-informal register and may imply affordability without necessarily suggesting quality. It’s frequently paired with degree adverbs like 很, 挺, or 真, and often contrasts with 贵 (guì, 'expensive'). While historically linked to 'convenience' in classical usage, modern Mandarin treats it exclusively as a price-related descriptor.