difference between ci2 次 and bian4 遍

[LuBaerte]

can anywone tell the difference between ci2 次and bian4 遍, both meaning "time" or "times"? when do you use which word?

thanks!

Lu Baerte

[mandarina]

Although they are extremly similar in their meaning, the main difference is that with 遍 their is an emphasis on "from begining", so in the example:

请再说一次 please say it again

请再说一遍 please say it from the begining, say it all over again

hope that helps

[dalizee]

As far as I know, you can also use CI here:

A: 你去过北京了没有？

B: 没有，这是我第一次。 OR 我去过两次。

Have you ever been to Beijing?

No, this is my first time. / I've been there twice.

[rezaf]

First of all it's ci4 not ci2. When you are not sure which one to use, just use ci cuz bian focuses on the whole process. If you say 这个电影我看过两遍，it means two times from the beginning to the end but 两次 might mean the same thing or it might mean twice but unfinished, so bian is more restricted in meaning. For example you can say: 北京，我去过3次。but you can't use bian here cuz it's not a process. OK it's hard to explain, just don't use bian when you don't have a complete process that focuses on a beginning and an end.

[Music&MeForever]

An simple illustration of both 次 & 遍 in one sentence:

她的表演我已经看了三遍,每一次都有不同的感受~

mandarina and rezaf are both right：1.bian stands for the whole process from beginning to end 2. ci stands for occurrence of an event, the number of times something happens