便利
べんり
hepburn benri
convenient, useful
Part of speech · na-adjective
Pattern visualization
no decomposition available
Examples
- スマートフォンはとても便利です。Smartphones are very convenient.
- 便利な道具をたくさん使います。I use many convenient tools.
Collocations
便利 (benri, convenient)不便 (fuben, inconvenient)便利屋 (benriya, handyman shop)利便性 (riben-sei, convenience noun)コンビニ (konbini, convenience store)
Mnemonic
Benri (便利) is a na-adjective — "convenient." Kanji 便 (convenience) + 利 (benefit). Antonym fuben (不便, inconvenient). A frequent yardstick in Japanese urban-life vocabulary — "24-jikan eigyou no konbini" (24-hour convenience store), "densha ga benri dakara hikkoshita" (moved because the train is convenient). Konbini (コンビニ) is the Japanese-coined abbreviation of "convenience store," now globally used. Korean pyeon-ui-jeom and Chinese 便利店 follow the same pattern. Benriya (便利屋) is a uniquely Japanese business — handymen who clean, move, do DIY — "the convenience people."
Quick check
Origin of "konbini" and its Japanese coinage?