Meaning of 分开
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to separate
- to part
How to use 分开
分开 is used for physically separating things or people, and also for couples or friends parting ways. It often appears with 把, as in 把…分开. Example: 我们把红的和白的分开吧。(Wǒmen bǎ hóng de hé bái de fēnkāi ba.) Let's separate the red ones from the white ones.
分 (fēn) means to divide, and 开 (kāi) means to open. Picture opening something up and dividing it into parts, so 分开 means to separate or to part.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 分开 with 离开 (líkāi). 离开 means to leave a place or person, like 离开北京, while 分开 means two or more things or people come apart from each other. Also keep both syllables in the first tone: fēnkāi, not fěnkāi.
分开 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
分 fēn · to divide · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
开 kāi · to open · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 分开.
| 打开 | dǎkāi | to open; to show (a ticket) |
| 开玩笑 | kāi wánxiào | to play a joke; to make fun of; to joke |
| 开车 | kāichē | to drive a car (or train etc); (slang) to post sexual content online; to make a sexual jok |
| 开会 | kāihuì | to hold or attend a meeting |
| 离开 | líkāi | to depart; to leave |
| 开心 | kāixīn | to feel happy; to rejoice |
| 分钟 | fēnzhōng | minute |
| 走开 | zǒukāi | to leave; to walk away; to beat it; to move aside |
| 部分 | bùfen | part; portion; piece; Taiwan pr. [bu4fen4] |
| 一部分 | yī bùfen | portion; part of |
| 十分 | shífēn | very; completely |
| 大部分 | dàbùfen | the greater part; the majority; most; Taiwan pr. [da4bu4fen4] |
Questions about 分开
What does 分开 mean?
分开 (fēnkāi) means "to separate; to part".
How do you write 分开?
分开 is made of 2 characters: 分 (4 strokes), 开 (4 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 分开 an HSK word?
Yes. 分开 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 分开 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 分开 is written 分開.
Can 分开 mean a couple broke up?
Yes. 我们分开了 (wǒmen fēnkāi le) can mean we split up. It sounds softer than 分手 (fēnshǒu), which is the more direct word for breaking up.
Can I put words between 分 and 开?
Yes, it works like a verb plus result. You can say 分得开 (fēn de kāi) for can be separated and 分不开 (fēn bu kāi) for cannot be separated, as in 他们俩分不开 (they two are inseparable).