bèn

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ben"

Mandarin

Alternative forms

ben — nonstandard

Romanization

bèn (ben⁴, Zhuyin ㄅㄣˋ)

Hanyu Pinyin reading of 佄
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 倴
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 坌
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 央
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 奔
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 捹
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 撪
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 桳
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 燌 / 𰞻
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 獐
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 笨
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 軦
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 輽
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 逩 / 奔
Hanyu Pinyin reading of 体

Vietnamese

Etymology

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 便 (SV: tiện).

This word belongs to a group of post-reconstructed Old Chinese, pre-Middle Chinese loans in Vietnamese, showing both the correspondence of Vietnamese A tones (ngang/huyền) with Middle Chinese C tone (due to the loss of *-s) and the absence of palatalization in the onset, while the Sino-Vietnamese form from Late Middle Chinese shows the palatalization *bj- > t- and the tonal correspondance between Vietnamese B tones (sắc/nặng) and Sinitic tone C (去).

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɛn˨˩]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɛŋ˦˩]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɛŋ˨˩]

Adverb

bèn • (𠂫, 𠂪)

(literary) and so one does something; then; thereupon

Particle

bèn • (卞, 𠂫, 𠂪, ⿰口弁)

(obsolete, chiefly in translations of Chinese texts) Used as an equivalent to 乃, 爰, 遂, 即/卽, 便, or 聿.
1. then
  - 乃習文章 [Vietnamese Literary Sinitic, trad.]
    From: 《初學問津》
    Nãi tập văn chương. [Sino-Vietnamese]
    Then he studied literature and writing.
  - Sơ học vấn tân (初學問津 "Elementary Learning Inquiring About the Ford"), 16a
    卞習文章。
    Bèn tập văn chương.
    Then he studied literature and writing.
  - 蟋蟀在堂、歲聿其莫。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
    蟋蟀在堂、岁聿其莫。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]
    From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
    Tất suất tại đường, tuế duật kỳ mộ. [Pinyin]
    The cricket is in the hall, and the year is drawing to a close.
  - Thi kinh diễn nghĩa (詩經演義 "Explanation of the Meaning of the Shijing"), 57b
    丐（⿰虫⿱艹已）𧓭於㙴茄，𫷜（⿰口弁）所侯闷。
    Cái dế mèn ở thềm nhà, năm bèn thửa hầu muộn.
    The cricket is at the steps of the house, the year then is drawing to a close.
2. thereupon
  - 爰命撰訓迪之辭凡十條 [Vietnamese Literary Sinitic, trad.]
    From: 《皇朝聖諭訓迪十條》
    Viên mệnh soạn huấn địch chi từ phàm thập điều. [Sino-Vietnamese]
    Thereupon, [he] ordered the compilation of the instructive statements which totaled 10 clauses.
  - Thượng dụ huấn điều sao bản giải âm (上諭訓條抄本解音 "Copy of the Imperial Edict's Instructional Clauses explained in the National Pronunciation"), 4b
    卞遣撰蒸𠳒𠰺保凡𱑕條
    Bèn khiến soạn chưng lời dạy bảo phàm mười điều.
    Thereupon, [he] ordered the compilation of the instructive statements which totaled 10 clauses.
3. therefore
  - 遂因賤妾、密寄遙情。 [Vietnamese Literary Sinitic, trad.]
    From: 《新編傳奇漫錄》
    Toại nhân tiện thiếp, mật ký diêu tình. [Sino-Vietnamese]
    Therefore, through a lowly concubine, he secretly conveyed his distant affections.
  - Tân biên Truyền kỳ mạn lục tăng bổ giải âm tập chú (新編傳奇漫錄增補解音集註 "Newly Edited Collection of Truyền kỳ mạn lục with Supplemented Annotations, Phonetic Explanations, and Collected Notes"), volume 2; 10b
    卞因妾閑、冉改𢚸賒。
    Bèn nhân thiếp hèn, nhẹm gửi lòng xa.
    Therefore, through a lowly concubine, he secretly conveyed his distant affections.
4. forthwith, immediately
  - 即厲聲曰 [Vietnamese Literary Sinitic, trad.]
    From: 《新編傳奇漫錄》
    Tức lệ thanh viết. [Sino-Vietnamese]
    [He] immediately said in a fierce voice.
  - Tân biên Truyền kỳ mạn lục tăng bổ giải âm tập chú (新編傳奇漫錄增補解音集註 "Newly Edited Collection of Truyền kỳ mạn lục with Supplemented Annotations, Phonetic Explanations, and Collected Notes"), volume 1; 42b-43a
    卞哿㗂浪
    Bèn cả tiếng rằng.
    [He] immediately said with his whole voice.