分 (fèn): part; share

Meanings

1 part; share
2 ingredient; component
3 one's allotted role or duty

Characters

分

fèn

part; share

Examples

这是我的本分。

Zhè shì wǒ de běnfèn.

This is my duty.

你太过分了！

Nǐ tài guòfèn le!

You're going too far!

我们的缘分很深。

Wǒmen de yuánfèn hěn shēn.

Our bond runs deep.

Tips

usage

fèn covers the 'share / portion / lot' senses — what is allotted to someone. It shows up as a bound noun in compounds: 身份 (identity, one's social part), 缘分 (fated bond), 本分 (one's proper role), 安分 (content with one's place), 过分 (beyond one's share — excessive), 部分 (a portion). It rarely stands alone.

memory

Mnemonic: fēn is the verb (to cut up), fèn is the noun (the cut-off piece). Cutting → cut. Same character, same idea, but the falling tone names the chunk you walk away with — your 份 of the cake. The noun 份 is in fact derived from this fèn reading.

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.