分 (fēn): to divide; to separate

Meanings

1 to divide; to separate
2 to distribute; to allocate
3 to distinguish
4 branch; sub-
5 fraction; one tenth
6 minute (of time or angle)
7 point (in sports or tests)
8 0.01 yuan (cent)

Characters

分

fēn

to divide; minute; point; cent

八 (divide) + 刀 (knife) — cutting something apart.

Examples

现在八点十分。

Xiànzài bā diǎn shí fēn.

It's 8:10 now.

我考了九十分。

Wǒ kǎo le jiǔshí fēn.

I scored 90 points.

把这个分成两半。

Bǎ zhège fēn chéng liǎng bàn.

Divide this in half.

Tips

mistakes

分 has a second reading 分 meaning 'part / share / ingredient' — the share-noun sense. The verb 'to divide' and the measure-uses (minute, point, cent) are always fēn; words like 身份, 缘分, 安分, 过分 take fèn.

grammar

分钟 is 'minute' as a duration: 等我五分钟 'wait five minutes'. Bare 分 gives clock time: 八点十分 '8:10'.

Components

radical

刀 dāo

knife

Bottom indexing knife radical. The whole composition: divide (八) + knife (刀) = cut something into pieces with a blade. Hence 分 = to divide, separate, share out. Same compound logic gives 切 (cut), 割 (sever) — all cutting verbs anchor on 刀.

semantic

八 bā

divide (original sense)

Top two strokes — 八 here is NOT the number 'eight' but its original pictographic meaning: two strokes pulling apart, depicting division. The number 'eight' is itself a phonetic loan onto this divide-image. The opening at the top of 分 visually pulls outward, supplying the meaning of separation.