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Kotomora

分

part, minute of time, segment, share, degree, one's lot, duty, understand, know, rate, 1%, chances, shaku/100

JLPTN5StatusJōyō · grade 2FrequencyTop 100Strokes4

Readings

On'yomi

  • ブン
  • フン
  • ブ

Kun'yomi

  • わ.ける
  • わ.け
  • わ.かれる
  • わ.かる
  • わ.かつ

Nanori

  • いた
  • わけ

Meaning

分 centers on dividing a whole into smaller pieces: a part, a share, or a segment. This idea extends naturally to measuring divisions like minutes, degrees, percentages, and rates, as well as the mental act of distinguishing or understanding something by breaking it down.

Most common words using 分

24 of 1,519
  • 自分じぶん
    N5

    myself; yourself; oneself; himself; herself

  • 分かるわかる
    N5

    to understand; to comprehend; to grasp; to see; to get; to follow

  • 分ぶん
    N2

    part; portion; share

  • 分ふん
    N1

    minute (unit of time)

  • 部分ぶぶん
    N3

    portion; section; part

  • 多分たぶん
    N5

    probably; likely; perhaps; maybe

  • 気分きぶん
    N4

    feeling; mood

  • 半分はんぶん
    N5

    half

  • 分けるわける
    N4

    to divide (into); to split (into); to part; to separate; to divide up; to classify; to sort out; to divide out

  • 分析ぶんせき
    N3

    analysis

  • 処分しょぶん
    N2

    disposal; throwing away; selling off

  • 分野ぶんや
    N3

    field; sphere; realm; division; branch

  • 大分だいぶ
    N4

    considerably; greatly; a lot

  • 分かれるわかれる
    N2

    to branch; to fork; to diverge

  • 成分せいぶん
    N2

    ingredient; component; composition

  • 分類ぶんるい
    N2

    classification; categorization; sorting

  • 分離ぶんり
    N1

    separation; partition; detachment; segregation; isolation

  • 分解ぶんかい
    N2

    disassembly; dismantling; disaggregating; taking apart; breaking up; analysis; parsing

  • 十分じゅうぶん
    N4

    enough; sufficient; plenty; adequate; satisfactory

  • 分間ふんかん

    minutes (period of)

  • 分割ぶんかつ
    N1

    partition; division; separation; segmenting; splitting

  • 水分すいぶん
    N3

    water; liquid; fluid; moisture; humidity; sap; juice

  • 身分みぶん
    N2

    (social) standing; status; position; rank

  • 随分ずいぶん
    N4

    very; extremely; surprisingly; fairly; quite; considerably; awfully; terribly

Explore all words using 分 →

Study

Etymology

分 combines 八 (to divide) and 刀 (knife), depicting a knife separating something into parts. This origin directly supports the core idea of division.

Meaning mnemonic

Picture a knife 刀 cutting something into two halves 八: the result is a part, a share, or a segment. When you divide something clearly, you also understand it.

Reading mnemonic

For ブン, imagine dividing a bun into equal shares: bun -> ブン, and the knife cuts the bun into parts.