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分別 (ぶんべつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N2 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
separation ; sorting ; classification
Used for physically or conceptually dividing things into categories. Very common in contexts like waste sorting (ゴミの分別). Also used for distinguishing between abstract things.
実じつ
と
意い
見けん
を
分ぶん
別べつ
し
て
考かんが
える
必ひつ
要よう
が
ある
。
We need to think by distinguishing facts from opinions.
Kanji 分 part, minute of time, segment 別 separate, branch off, diverge Similar words 区く 別べつ 区別 is more about distinguishing between two or more things based on their characteristics, while 分別 emphasizes the act of physically or systematically separating them into groups.
分ぶん 類るい 分類 is closer to 'classification' in a systematic or scientific sense, often used for categorizing data or species. 分別 is more practical and everyday, like sorting trash.
Etymology Compound of 分 (ぶん, 'divide, part') and 別 (べつ, 'separate, distinction'). The meaning follows directly from the kanji components.
