分

On'yomi

ブン・フン・ブ

BUN / FUN / BU

Kun'yomi

わ.ける・わ.け・わ.かれる・わ.かる・わ.かつ

wakeru / wake / wakareru / wakaru / wakatsu

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

beautiful wisdom

Details

Strokes4

Frequency#24

Radical刀knife(2)

Stroke Order

Strokes4

Cultural Context

Etymology

Composed of '八' (divide) and '刀' (sword). Dividing with a blade.

Symbolism

Division, time, understanding. Also used for concept of 'understanding'.

Related Culture & Scenes

— Flow of time

Component Breakdown

分=

八刀

八 + sword

Words & Expressions

Words written with 分

何分なにぶんsome

分裂ぶんれつsplit

分量ぶんりょうamount

自分じぶんmyself

分けるわけるmediate

Four-Character Compounds

一分一厘

いちぶいちりん

(not even) a bit of; (not even) a hint of; (not) an iota of

九寸五分

くすんごぶ

dagger

九分九厘

くぶくりん

almost certainly; in all probability; ten to one

五分五分

ごぶごぶ

as likely as not; fifty-fifty; even match

四分五裂

しぶんごれつ

torn asunder; disrupted and disorganized

自分勝手

じぶんかって

selfishness; egotism; egoism

政教分離

せいきょうぶんり

separation of church and state

大義名分

たいぎめいぶん

just cause; good reason; pretext

思慮分別

しりょふんべつ

discreet and well-advised judgment; wise and mature judgment; making judgment with prudence

冗談半分

じょうだんはんぶん

half joking; being (only) half serious; (in a) jocular vein

没分暁漢

ぼつぶんぎょうかん

obstinate person; blockhead

Poetry

和歌（百人一首） (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

奥山にもみぢ踏み分け鳴く鹿の声聞く時ぞ秋は悲しき

Deep in the hills a stag treads through fallen maple leaves and cries. Hearing it, autumn is saddest of all.

猿丸大夫Sarumaru Dayū

9th century

和歌（百人一首） (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

めぐりあひて見しやそれとも分かぬまに雲がくれにし夜半の月かな

We met again, and before I could tell whether it was really you, you were gone, like the midnight moon behind cloud.

紫式部Murasaki Shikibu

11th century

俳句 (Haiku)

鳥羽殿へ五六騎いそぐ野分かな

Five or six riders hurrying to the Toba palace — a late autumn gale.

与謝蕪村Yosa Buson

1769