分裂 (fēnliè) — to split, to divide, division

分裂 (fēnliè)

分裂 describes the act of splitting, dividing, or breaking apart -- whether a physical substance, a political entity, a social group, or a personal relationship.

Meanings

1. [verb] to split, to divide, to break apart
2. [noun] division, schism, split

Example Sentences

党内的分裂严重削弱了这个政党的执政能力。 Dǎng nèi de fēnliè yánzhòng xuēruò le zhège zhèngdǎng de zhízhèng nénglì. The split within the party seriously weakened this political party's governing capacity.

他们担心这场争论会导致组织内部的分裂。 Tāmen dānxīn zhè chǎng zhēnglùn huì dǎozhì zǔzhī nèibù de fēnliè. They worried that this debate would lead to a split within the organization.

细胞分裂是生物体生长和繁殖的基本过程。 Xìbāo fēnliè shì shēngwùtǐ shēngzhǎng hé fánzhí de jīběn guòchéng. Cell division is a basic process of the growth and reproduction of organisms.

外部势力试图分裂这个国家，破坏其统一。 Wàibù shìlì shìtú fēnliè zhège guójiā, pòhuài qí tǒngyī. External forces are attempting to split this country and undermine its unity.

家族内部的财产纠纷最终导致了家庭的分裂。 Jiāzú nèibù de cáichǎn jiūfēn zuìzhōng dǎozhì le jiātíng de fēnliè. Property disputes within the family ultimately led to the family's split.

思想上的分裂往往比物理上的分裂更难弥合。 Sīxiǎng shàng de fēnliè wǎngwǎng bǐ wùlǐ shàng de fēnliè gèng nán míhé. Ideological divisions are often harder to bridge than physical ones.

Collocations

Usage Notes

分裂 is used across many domains: biology (细胞分裂, cell division), politics (国家分裂, national division), and social/organizational contexts (团队分裂, team split). The word carries a strongly negative connotation in political Chinese, where 分裂国家 (splitting the nation) is one of the most serious charges.

分裂 differs from 分开 (to separate) in that 分裂 implies a break or rupture that was previously unified, often with violence, conflict, or serious damage. 分开 is neutral and can be used for any separation.

Memory Hook

分 means "to divide" and 裂 means "to crack/split" -- 分裂 is not a gentle parting but a forceful cracking apart, like a log splitting under an axe.