分 means “minute, part”

ぶん · bun

Also: minute of time, segment, share

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

わける, わけ, わかれる, わかる, わかつ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ブン, フン, ブ

JLPT N5 · Taught in grade 2 · 4 strokes

The story

A minute is a division of the hour. 分 captures the idea of dividing time into meaningful parts.

Used in time: 三十分 (sanjuppun) = 30 minutes

Its parts

• 八 Eight/divide · Top
• 刀 Sword/knife · Bottom

A knife (刀) dividing (八) something: to divide, minute, portion

Words with 分

• 十分 (じゅうぶん, juubun): enough / sufficient
• 半分 (はんぶん, hanbun): half

Kanji that look like 分

• 刀 (sword): 分 adds 八 on top of 刀: dividing (splitting) with a blade

More from Ancient Counting

• 多 many
• 一 one
• 二 two
• 三 three
• 四 four
• 五 five
• 六 six
• 七 seven
• 八 eight
• 九 nine
• 十 ten
• 百 hundred

Learn 分 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.