部分 (bùfen) — part / portion / section

部分 (bùfen)

部分 refers to a part, portion, or section of a larger whole. It is used to indicate that something applies to only some, not all, of a group or thing. The tone on 分 is neutral (bùfen, not bùfèn) in most standard speech.

Meanings

1. [noun] Part; portion; section; segment.
2. [noun] Some (a subset of a group), as in "part of the students."

Example Sentences

这只是整个计划的一部分。 Zhè zhǐshì zhěnggè jìhuà de yī bùfen. This is only one part of the entire plan.

一部分学生同意，另一部分不同意。 Yī bùfen xuésheng tóngyì, lìng yī bùfen bù tóngyì. Some students agreed; another portion did not.

请把这部分内容再读一遍。 Qǐng bǎ zhè bùfen nèiróng zài dú yī biàn. Please read this section once more.

大部分工作已经完成了。 Dà bùfen gōngzuò yǐjīng wánchéng le. Most of the work has already been completed.

Collocations

Memory Hook

部 means "section / department" and 分 means "to divide / portion." Put them together: a section that has been divided off — a distinct portion of something larger.