Level 5 · Advanced
While you're at it: 顺便
Verb Phrase 1，顺便 + Verb Phrase 2 · Traditional: Verb Phrase 1，順便 + Verb Phrase 2
顺便 (shùnbiàn) tags a second task onto a trip you were already making: 你出去的时候，顺便帮我买杯咖啡 "while you're out, grab me a coffee." The key is that the extra task costs almost nothing — it's on the way.
Its opposite is 专门, "making a special trip." 顺便问一下 ("by the way, quick question…") is also the standard polite way to slide in a casual question.
Examples
你出去的时候，顺便帮我买杯咖啡。
你出去的時候，順便幫我買杯咖啡。
nǐ chū qù de shí hou shùn biàn bāng wǒ mǎi bēi kā fēi
While you're out, grab me a coffee.
我去超市买菜，顺便取了个快递。
我去超市買菜，順便取了個快遞。
wǒ qù chāo shì mǎi cài shùn biàn qǔ le gè kuài dì
I went grocery shopping and picked up a package while I was at it.
既然来了，顺便看看老朋友吧。
既然來了，順便看看老朋友吧。
jì rán lái le shùn biàn kàn kan lǎo péng you ba
Since you're here anyway, why not drop in on some old friends?
顺便问一下，你周末有空吗？
順便問一下，你週末有空嗎？
shùn biàn wèn yī xià nǐ zhōu mò yǒu kòng ma
By the way, are you free this weekend?
Common mistakes
✗ 我顺便坐了三个小时的车去帮你买药。
✓ 我专门坐了三个小时的车去帮你买药。
顺便 means the extra task was basically free. A three-hour trip is 专门 — a special trip.
Related grammar points
Practice this pattern in graded stories like The Viewing (Part 3) inside the Literate Chinese app.
