方便
fāngbiàn · HSK 2
convenient
🚪 方 (square/direction) + 便 (convenient) = handy in any direction
方 means square or direction; 便 on its own already means convenient or handy. Together they reinforce the idea of something easy and accessible from any angle. Also used politely to mean 'when it suits you'.
方 — pictograph of a plow or two boats joined side by side
方 originated as a pictograph, traditionally interpreted as a plow handle or two boats lashed together. From the idea of paired boats it extended to mean 'side by side,' then 'square,' 'direction,' and 'region.' It was later borrowed for the abstract sense of 'method' or 'way.'
便 — person 亻 + change 更
A semantic compound: 亻(person) beside 更 (to change/replace). The original sense was a person making things easier or more convenient by adjusting them. From 'convenient' it extended to 'then/thereupon' (biàn) and to bodily 'discharge' (as in 大便).