分子

fènzǐ / fēnzǐ
noun #1,647

Meanings

  1. 1 member of a class or group
  2. 2 person of a certain type

Examples

HSK 4
Jījí fènzǐ shòudào le biǎoyáng.
The active members received praise.
HSK 4
Zhīshi fènzǐ zài shèhuì zhōng qǐ le zhòngyào zuòyòng.
Intellectuals have played an important role in society.
HSK 7-9
Tā shì kǒngbù fènzǐ.
He is a terrorist.

Tips

mistakes
Same two characters as 分子, the molecule, but the first syllable is fourth tone here. If the sentence is about people rather than chemistry or maths, the reading is 分子.
usage
This reading almost never stands alone. What comes in front names the group, and most of the set combinations are labels for people, several of them accusations, as in 犯罪分子, a criminal. Used about someone, it sounds official rather than neutral.

Stroke Order

fēn