分 fēn — minute (in a clock time)

Meanings

1. 1

   minute (in a clock time)

   The minutes of a clock reading: 八点二十分, twenty past eight. A *length* of time is 分钟 instead — 二十分钟, twenty minutes long. Telling the time uses 分; measuring a duration uses 分钟.

   measure
2. 2

   mark, point (in a test or a game)

   measure
3. 3

   to divide, to separate

   verb

Character breakdown

• 分

  fēn (first tone, high and level) fèn (fourth tone, falling)

  to divide, to separate; a minute; a fraction, a mark out of a hundred; a cent; (fèn) a share, a part, a component

  4 strokes⿱八刀Radical 刀

Example sentences

• 现在八点二十分。/現在八點二十分。Xiànzài (fourth tone, falling) bā (first tone, high and level) diǎn (third tone, dipping) èrshí (fourth tone, falling) fēn. (first tone, high and level)···

  It is twenty past eight.

• 这次考试他得了一百分。/這次考試他得了一百分。Zhè (fourth tone, falling) cì (fourth tone, falling) kǎoshì (third tone, dipping) tā (first tone, high and level) déle (second tone, rising) yìbǎi (fourth tone, falling) fēn. (first tone, high and level)···

  He got a hundred out of a hundred in this test.

Common mistakes

• Not quite我等了二十分。

  Correct我等了二十分钟。

  How long something lasted needs 分钟; 分 alone reads as a point on the clock face. Compare 三点二十分, twenty past three, with 二十分钟, twenty minutes long.

Similar words

Words containing 分

• 分钟/分鐘fēnzhōng (first tone, high and level)minute (a length of time)