分
fan
The Cantonese word for 'divide' is 分 (fan).
The verb 分 means to separate into two or more parts. It is used in various contexts, such as 分錢, which refers to dividing money or splitting a bill among people.
Meaning: separate into two or more parts (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express 'divide into' or 'split into', the verb 分 is often followed by the word 做. Alternatively, you can add 開 to the verb to form 分開, which emphasizes the action of separating things that were previously joined or together.
How do you pronounce it?
fan
Did you know?
- In some mathematical contexts, 分母 (the denominator) literally translates to 'the mother of the division', whereas the numerator is the 'father'.
- The character 分 is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the radicals for 'knife' and 'eight', visually representing the act of cutting something apart.
- While 分開 means 'to separate', it is also the standard term used to describe a romantic couple 'breaking up'.
Examples in context
- 將呢條線分做二十個等分。Divide this line into twenty equal parts.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use 分 to describe dividing a line into equal parts.Tatoeba #413242 by nickyeow, translation #58099 by CM
- 佢將啲錢分咗三份。keoi5 zoeng1 di1 cin2 fan1 zo2 saam1 fan6.He divided the money into three parts.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are sharing a snack.
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung呢個蘋果好大，我哋分佢啦。ni1 go3 ping4 gwo2 hou2 daai6, ngo5 dei6 fan1 keoi5 laa1.This apple is very big, let's divide it.
- 志強 Chi Keung好啊，你要邊一半？hou2 aa3, nei5 jiu3 bin1 jat1 bun3?Sure, which half do you want?
- 曉彤 Hiu Tung隨便，分得公平就得。ceoi4 bin6, fan1 dak1 gung1 hau2 zau6 dak1.Either is fine, as long as it's divided fairly.
- 志強 Chi Keung冇問題，我分得好準。mou5 man6 tai4, ngo5 fan1 dak1 hou2 zeon2.No problem, I can divide it very accurately.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
