分 fēn

Basic Meaning: to divide, to separate, to share, to distinguish.

The character 【分】 clearly shows its meaning in its structure.

The top part is 【八】, which originally represents “separating” or “dividing into two parts”. Below it is 【刀】, a knife — a tool used to cut and split things apart.

Put together, 【八】 + 【刀】 = 【分】. The idea is: using a knife to separate or divide something. That is the original meaning of 【分】.

Over time, this character developed many related meanings. It can mean to share something, to tell things apart, or a unit of measurement. It is widely used in daily words, showing how the simple idea of “dividing” has become part of modern Chinese.

Memory Tip

Just remember: 【八】 (separate) + 【刀】 (knife) = 【分】 (divide).