Chinese word

分开

Pronunciation

Pinyinfēn kāi

Meaning

  • verbdivide

Example

请把水果分开，每人一份。qǐng bǎ shuí guǒ fēn kāi měi rén yí fèn

Please divide the fruit so each person gets one serving.

Illustration for 分开 (divide)

More examples

我们把衣服分开洗。wǒ men bǎ yī fú fēn kāi xǐ

We wash the clothes separately.

Core concept

People or things that share one space, group, or mixture move into separate places or parts.

Common phrases

  • 把水果分开bǎ shuí guǒ fēn kāi

    divide the fruit

  • 分开吃fēn kāi chī

    eat separately

  • 把衣服分开洗bǎ yī fú fēn kāi xǐ

    wash the clothes separately

Similar words

分割fēn gē: Divides one whole into several parts.
拆开chāi kāi: Opens wrapping or a box, or loosens a knot, to separate what is joined.
分离fēn lí: Removes physical contact or a close connection, leaving people or things apart.

Definition in Chinese

使人或事物从原本的联合、接触或混合关系中分离出来，既可指物理上的分开，也可指关系或位置上的分离。shǐ rén huò shì wù cóng yuán běn de lián hé jiē chù huò hùn hé guān xì zhōng fēn lí chū lái jì kě zhǐ wù lǐ shàng de fēn kāi yě kě zhǐ guān xì huò wèi zhì shàng de fēn lí

Word origin

The compound 分开 (fēnkāi, "divide apart") uses 分 (fēn, "divide") for making distinctions and 开 (kāi, "open") for creating space between them.

Usage tips

  • The word works for fruit, seats, and groups, so the nearby noun shows what is being arranged rather than changing the word itself.

Other meanings

  • partverb
  • separateverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word