About this Draft
This page is part of the early access version of The Kanji Speedrun. The essentials—kanji meanings and mnemonics—are already in place and usable, but nearly every part of the page is still being polished. Some entries may contain mistakes, but please rest assured we are working hard to make revisions.
We’re sharing these drafts now so you can keep learning while we polish the full experience. If you notice something off, please don’t hesitate to let me know—it’s a huge help in improving the course!
分
DIVIDE ・ PART
Mnemonic
Imagine a knife (刀) cutting something apart, with pieces dropping down. This gives the sense of splitting, portioning, or taking a PART of the whole. From there, 分 naturally extends to “DIVIDE.”
分 is also the kanji used for “minute” (time) and “rate” or “share,” since all of these come from the idea of dividing into parts.
Example Vocabulary
- 五分（ごふん） – five minutes
- 自分（じぶん） – oneself
- 分ける（わける） – to divide, share
- 分かる（わかる） – to understand
- 気分（きぶん） – mood, feeling
Parts and pieces
From time (五分 = five minutes), to identity (自分 = oneself), to knowledge (分かる = to understand), this kanji shows how many aspects of life are about dividing things into smaller, knowable parts. 分 is all about breaking things down.
Example Sentences
- 電車はあと五分で来ます。– The train will arrive in five minutes.
- 彼は自分の考えを話しました。– He talked about himself and his thoughts.