Chinese word

分

Pronunciation

Pinyinfēn

Meaning

  • nounminute

Example

现在九点三分。xiàn zài jiú diǎn sān fēn

It is now three minutes past nine.

Illustration for 分 (minute)

More examples

我还有两分钟。wǒ hái yǒu liǎng fēn zhōng

I still have two minutes.

Core concept

A whole is cut into separate parts, each becoming a small unit or share.

Common phrases

  • 几分jǐ fēn

    how many minutes

  • 两分钟liǎng fēn zhōng

    two minutes

  • 三分钟sān fēn zhōng

    three minutes

Similar words

点diǎn: A clock-time marker placed after a number to identify the hour.
小时xiǎo shí: A unit of time equal to sixty minutes for measuring duration.
半bàn: The point thirty minutes into a stated hour on the clock.

Definition in Chinese

表示时间的单位，等于一小时的六十分，用来表示钟点之后的分钟数。biǎo shì shí jiān de dān wèi děng yú yì xiǎo shí de liù shí fēn yòng lái biǎo shì zhōng diǎn zhī hòu de fēn zhōng shù

Word origin

分 (fēn, "minute") is traditionally explained as 八 (bā, "split apart") + 刀 (dāo, "knife"), picturing a knife dividing a whole into parts.

Usage tips

  • For thirty minutes after an hour, 半 (bàn, "half") is common in clock readings, while a small number such as three simply names the minutes after the hour.

Other meanings

  • scorenoun
  • divideverb

Related words

Word lists with this word