分
| Property |
Value |
| Meaning |
minute, part |
| Strokes |
4 |
| JLPT Level |
N5 |
| On-reading (音読み) |
ブン、フン、ブ |
| Kun-reading (訓読み) |
わ-ける、わ-かる |
| Radical |
刀 (Katana/Sword) - U+5200 |
Stroke Order
The kanji 分 follows standard Japanese calligraphy rules: top-to-bottom and left-to-right.
- Stroke 1: The top horizontal line (left to right).
- Stroke 2: The short downward stroke (撇) starting from the center of the first stroke.
- Stroke 3: The left side of the bottom component (刀), a downward stroke.
- Stroke 4: The right side of the bottom component (刀), a hook stroke (鉤).
Radical Analysis
The kanji 分 is composed of two parts:
- 八 (Eight): Represents the concept of splitting or dividing something into pieces.
- 刀 (Sword): Represents the tool used to perform the action of cutting or dividing.
Together, they depict a sword cutting something into pieces, which evolved into the meanings of "part," "share," or "divide."
Mnemonic
- The Sword Split: Imagine a sharp sword (刀) cutting a whole object into eight (八) pieces. When you divide something into parts, you are "splitting" it.
- Time Management: Think of a clock face. You use a "sword" to slice the hour into 60 small "minutes" (分).
On-readings (音読み) with Examples
ブン (Bun)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 自分 |
じぶん |
jibun |
oneself |
| 十分 |
じゅうぶん |
juubun |
enough / sufficient |
| 分野 |
ぶんや |
bunya |
field / sphere |
フン (Fun)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 五分 |
ごふん |
gofun |
five minutes |
| 十分 |
じゅっぷん |
juppun |
ten minutes |
| 半分 |
はんぶん |
hanbun |
half |
ブ (Bu)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 分け目 |
わけめ |
wakeme |
parting (of hair) / turning point |
| 一分 |
いちぶ |
ichibu |
one part / one percent |
Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples
わ-ける (Wakeru)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 分ける |
わける |
wakeru |
to divide / to share |
| 仕分け |
しわけ |
shiwake |
sorting / classification |
わ-かる (Wakaru)
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 分かる |
わかる |
wakaru |
to understand |
| 分かりやすい |
わかりやすい |
wakariyasui |
easy to understand |
JLPT N5 Words Using 分
| Word |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
JLPT |
| 分かる |
わかる |
wakaru |
to understand |
N5 |
| 十分 |
じゅうぶん |
juubun |
enough |
N5 |
| 半分 |
はんぶん |
hanbun |
half |
N5 |
| 自分 |
じぶん |
jibun |
oneself |
N5 |
| 分 |
ふん/ぷん |
fun/pun |
minute |
N5 |
| 分ける |
わける |
wakeru |
to divide |
N4 |
| 分野 |
ぶんや |
bunya |
field |
N3 |
| 分離 |
ぶんり |
bunri |
separation |
N3 |
Example Sentences
| Japanese |
Reading |
Romaji |
English |
| 日本語が分かります。 |
にほんごが わかります。 |
Nihongo ga wakarimasu. |
I understand Japanese. |
| 今、何分ですか。 |
いま、なんぷんですか。 |
Ima, nanpun desu ka? |
What time is it (in minutes)? |
| ケーキを半分に分けました。 |
ケーキを はんぶんに わけました。 |
Keeki o hanbun ni wakemashita. |
I divided the cake in half. |
| 十分な時間があります。 |
じゅうぶんな じかんが あります。 |
Juubun na jikan ga arimasu. |
I have enough time. |
| 自分のことは自分でします。 |
じぶんのことは じぶんで します。 |
Jibun no koto wa jibun de shimasu. |
I do my own things myself. |
| 彼は専門分野が広いです。 |
かれは せんもんぶんやが ひろいです。 |
Kare wa senmon bunya ga hiroi desu. |
He has a wide field of expertise. |
Common Confusion Pairs
| Kanji |
Reading |
Meaning |
How to distinguish |
| 分 |
ブン/わ |
minute/part |
Has the 刀 (sword) radical at the bottom. |
| 公 |
コウ/おおやけ |
public |
Has the 八 (eight) on top, but the bottom is ム (private/self), not 刀. |
| 切 |
セツ/き |
cut |
Has the 七 (seven) on top and 刀 (sword) on the bottom. |
Usage Frequency Note
分 is one of the most frequently used kanji in the Japanese language. It appears in daily speech constantly (telling time, expressing understanding, or dividing items). It is essential for both formal writing and casual conversation. You will encounter it in almost every newspaper article and textbook.