隨便 / 随便
suíbiàn
In Chinese, 'whatever' can be expressed in several ways depending on the context, with 隨便 / 随便 (suíbiàn) being the default form. Wiktionary also lists 好吧 (hǎo ba).
Meaning: indicating the speaker does not care what someone says (intj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 隨便 / 随便 | suíbiàn |
| 好吧 | hǎo ba |
The term 隨便 / 随便 is used to indicate that the speaker does not care what someone says. When used as an adjective to describe a person's attitude, it can imply that the person is being careless, sloppy or lacks discipline.
Which one should you use?
While 隨便 / 随便 can mean 'whatever' in an indifferent sense, it is also the standard way to say 'up to you' or 'it's fine/as you wish' when yielding a choice to someone else. In contrast, 好吧 is used to signal reluctant agreement or resignation to a situation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to use 'whatever' as a conjunction meaning 'no matter what [thing]', you should use 不管什麼 / 不管什么 instead of 隨便 / 随便. Additionally, 不管怎樣 / 不管怎样 can be used to mean 'regardless of the … that. For any … that'.
How do you pronounce it?
suíbiàn
Did you know?
- In a social or romantic context, describing a person as 随便 can be a serious insult implying they are promiscuous or have no moral standards.
- The word 隨便 / 随便 literally translates to 'follow the easy/convenient'. This etymological root explains why it can transition from meaning 'I don't care' to 'whatever is most convenient for you'.
- When a host tells a guest 随便吃 'eat whatever', it is a ritual of hospitality intended to make the guest feel at home rather than a sign of indifference toward the food.
Examples in context
- 老师，请随便安排。Teacher, please arrange as you see fit.
- 对我来说，哪种颜色都无所谓。For me, the color doesn't matter.
- 你想吃什么，我都无所谓。I don't mind eating anything you want.
- 他喜不喜欢，我管他呢。I don't care if he likes it or not.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “whatever” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
