Japanese word

分

Pronunciation

Romajibun

Meaning

  • nounshare

Example

これは私の分です。ko re wa watashi no bun de su

This is my share.

Illustration for 分 (share)

More examples

おやつを妹の分も取っておきます。o ya tsu o imōto no bun mo to tte o ki ma su

I save my little sister's share of the snack too.

一人分ずつ皿に盛ります。hito ri bun zu tsu sara ni mo ri ma su

I serve one portion on each plate.

Core concept

分 (bun, "share") centers on one person's allotted part of a larger whole.

Common phrases

  • 私の分watashi no bun

    my share

  • 一人分hito ri bun

    one person's share

Similar words

取り分toribun: It is the share that belongs to or goes to one person.
分け前wakemae: It is a share given to someone from something divided among several people.
割り当てwariate: It is a specified amount given to a person or used for a purpose.

Definition in Japanese

全体をいくつかに分けたうちの一つで、ある人や物に割り当てられた部分。zen tai o i ku tsu ka ni wa ke ta u chi no hito tsu de a ru hito ya mono ni wa ri a te ra re ta bu bun

Word origin

The noun 分 (bun, "share") uses the Sino-Japanese reading of the character 分, whose basic sense is to divide or separate; a share is what results from dividing a whole.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 分 (bun) can mean the amount set aside for one person, while the same character read as fun means "minute" in time expressions.

Other meanings

  • portionnoun
  • partnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word