Kanji 分

音読おんよみ: ブン・フン・ブ

訓読くんよみ: わける・わかれる・
わかる・わかつ

画数かくすう: 4

部首ぶしゅ: かたな（刀）

Meaning

Divide / Understand / Part / Minute

Conjugation
Tap for 分ける (divide) Tap for 分かる (understand)
  • 気分きぶん — mood / feeling
  • 自分じぶん — oneself
  • 十分じゅうぶん — enough / sufficient
  • 部分ぶぶん — part / section
  • 分類ぶんるい — classification
  • 分解ぶんかい — decomposition / breakdown
More examples - tap to expand
  • 分配ぶんぱい — distribution / allotment
  • 配分はいぶん — allocation / apportionment
  • 分析ぶんせき — analysis
  • 分散ぶんさん — dispersion / scattering
  • 成分せいぶん — ingredient / component
  • 一分いちぶ — one minute; a small portion
Compound Verbs - tap to expand
  • 分わけ合あう — share; divide and share
  • 見み分わける — distinguish; tell apart
  • 聞き分わける — discern by listening
  • 仕し分わける — sort; classify (items/work)
  • 振ふり分わける — distribute; allocate; sort into groups
  • 分わかり合あう — understand each other
  • 分わかち合あう — share (joy/sorrow); share with others

分 originally showed a knife cutting something into parts — the image of “dividing.” From that core idea, it expanded into abstract meanings like “to understand” (things become “clear” when separated into parts), and also into measurement, such as minutes and portions.

◀︎ Sayings+ ▶︎