ChiramiN5 kanji · 4 strokes
分 means divide, minute
八 split apart · 刀 knife
分Real origin
A knife (刀) splitting something (八): to divide. Minutes divide the hour.
Real origin: where the kanji comes from, as far as scholars agree.
Meaning and readings
- Meanings
- part, minute of time, segment, share
- JLPT level
- N5
- Strokes
- 4
- School grade
- Grade 2 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) わける wakeru
わける (wakeru) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
Other Japanese readings: わけ wake, わかれる wakareru, わかる wakaru
From Chinese (onyomi) ブン bun
ブン (bun) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Other readings from Chinese: フン fun, ブ bu
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
分ける わける · wakeru
to divide, to split
Built from
- 八 eight, split apart
- 刀 knife, sword
刀 Used in 33 kanji
Quick check
What does 分 mean?
Right: 分 means divide, minute.Not quite: 分 means divide, minute.In 分ける, which reading does 分 use?
Right. 分ける is read わける (wakeru): 分 takes わ, its Japanese reading, with ける after it.Not quite. 分ける is read わける (wakeru): 分 takes わ, its Japanese reading, with ける after it.