顺便/順便 shùnbiàn — conveniently, while you’re at it, in passing

Meanings

1. 1

   conveniently, while you’re at it, in passing

   To do a second thing while already doing a first, because it costs nothing extra — you’re going to the shop anyway, so you 顺便 buy milk. It sits before the second verb.

   adverb

Example sentences

• 你去超市的时候，顺便帮我买瓶牛奶。/你去超市的時候，順便幫我買瓶牛奶。Nǐ (third tone, dipping) qù (fourth tone, falling) chāoshì (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) shíhou, (second tone, rising) shùnbiàn (fourth tone, falling) bāng (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) mǎi (third tone, dipping) píng (second tone, rising) niúnǎi. (second tone, rising)···

  When you go to the supermarket, could you pick up a bottle of milk for me while you’re at it?

• 他每天走路上班，顺便锻炼身体。/他每天走路上班，順便鍛煉身體。Tā (first tone, high and level) měitiān (third tone, dipping) zǒulù (third tone, dipping) shàngbān, (fourth tone, falling) shùnbiàn (fourth tone, falling) duànliàn (fourth tone, falling) shēntǐ. (first tone, high and level)···

  He walks to work every day, getting some exercise while he’s at it.

Common mistakes

• Not quite顺便，你明天有时间吗？

  Correct顺便问一下，你明天有时间吗？

  Bare 顺便 cannot open a sentence introducing a brand-new question the way English "by the way" does; it needs its own light verb — 顺便问一下 — because 顺便 modifies an action, and asking is the action here.