分居

fēnjū

verb #9,014

Meanings

1 to live apart; to live separately (of a married couple)
2 to be separated (while still married)

Characters

to separate; to divide

to live; to reside

Separate + reside — to live in separate places, especially as a married couple.

Examples

他们已经分居两年了。

Tāmen yǐjīng fēnjū liǎng nián le.

They've been separated for two years.

分居不等于离婚。

Fēnjū bù děngyú líhūn.

Separation is not the same as divorce.

因为工作原因，他们不得不分居。

Yīnwèi gōngzuò yuányīn, tāmen bùdébù fēnjū.

Because of work, they had no choice but to live apart.

Tips

usage

分居 specifically implies a married couple living apart — it carries legal weight in Chinese divorce law. Two years of 分居 can be grounds for divorce. For non-married people simply living in different places, just say 不住在一起.

Stroke Order

分 fēn

居 jū