片へん

へ

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

counter for scraps, fragments, petals, etc.

Used for small, flat, or broken-off pieces. Common with things like paper scraps, flower petals, or torn cloth. Often appears with the reading いっぺん for one piece.

Usage patterns

花はなびら〈数かず〉片へんcounts fallen or scattered petals
風かぜで花はなびらが二に片へん、地じ面めんに落おちた。
Two petals fell to the ground in the wind.
紙かみ切きれ〈数かず〉片へんcounts torn scraps of paper
破やぶれた手て紙がみが三さん片へん、机つくえの上うえに残のこっていた。
Three scraps of the torn letter were left on the desk.

Grammar

一人ひとり・二に本ほん・三さん冊さつnumbers and countersN5

Kanji

片one-sided, leaf, sheet

Related words

枚まいN3
枚 is the general counter for flat objects like paper or plates, while 片 specifically counts small broken-off fragments or petals rather than whole items.

Don't confuse with

編へんN1
片（へん）counts small fragments or petals, while 編（へん）counts volumes or parts of a written work; they sound identical but count completely different things.
遍へん
片（へん）is a counter for fragments or petals, while 遍（へん）is a counter for the number of times something is done, despite sharing the same reading.
辺へんN1
片（へん）counts small broken pieces, while 辺（へん）refers to an area or vicinity, and the two are easy to mix up by sound alone.

Written forms

片へんUsage48%
Standard kanji spelling for this counter.
へんUsage52%

Etymology

The kanji 片 originally depicts a split piece of wood, giving rise to the meaning 'fragment' or 'one side'. The counter use is a natural extension.