分 (fēn) — minute; to divide; part

HSK 1 | noun/verb | used for minutes in time-telling; also means to divide or a fraction

分 (fēn)

分 is used after a number to express minutes when telling the time. It also means "to divide" or "a portion," and appears in many compound words.

Meanings

  1. [noun] Minute (unit of time, used after a number).
  2. [verb] To divide, to separate.
  3. [noun] A part, a portion, a score (in exams).

Example Sentences

现在八点二十分。 Xiànzài bā diǎn èrshí fēn. It is now eight twenty.

我们还有五分钟。 Wǒmen hái yǒu wǔ fēnzhōng. We still have five minutes.

请把这个分成两份。 Qǐng bǎ zhège fēn chéng liǎng fèn. Please divide this into two portions.

他考了九十分。 Tā kǎo le jiǔshí fēn. He scored ninety points on the exam.

Collocations

Collocation Meaning
几分 how many minutes
分钟 minute (duration)
五分钟 five minutes
十分 ten minutes; very, fully
分开 to separate
高分 high score

Memory Hook

分 shows a knife (刀) cutting something in two. Each minute slices an hour into smaller pieces.