Meaning of 分裂
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to split up
- to divide
- to break up
- fission
- schism
How to use 分裂
分裂 is used for groups, countries, parties, and cells splitting, often with a serious or formal tone. It can be a verb or a noun, as in 细胞分裂 (xìbāo fēnliè, cell division). Example: 这个党分裂成了两派。(Zhège dǎng fēnliè chéng le liǎng pài.) This party split into two factions.
分 (fēn) means to divide, and 裂 (liè) means to crack or tear, so 分裂 is something dividing until it tears apart. Think of a country or group pulling in two directions until it splits.
Common mistake: Learners often use 分裂 for ordinary separating, like people parting ways or splitting a bill, where 分开 (fēnkāi) or 分手 (fēnshǒu) fits better. Also, 裂 (liè) is fourth tone and has 衣 at the bottom, so do not confuse it with 列 (liè, row) or 烈 (liè, fierce).
分裂 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
裂 liè · to split · 12 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Related words
Words that share a character with 分裂.
| 分钟 | fēnzhōng | minute |
| 部分 | bùfen | part; portion; piece; Taiwan pr. [bu4fen4] |
| 一部分 | yī bùfen | portion; part of |
| 十分 | shífēn | very; completely |
| 分开 | fēnkāi | to separate; to part |
| 大部分 | dàbùfen | the greater part; the majority; most; Taiwan pr. [da4bu4fen4] |
| 分数 | fēnshù | (exam) grade; mark |
| 分别 | fēnbié | to part; to leave each other; to distinguish; to tell apart |
| 得分 | défēn | to score a point (in a competition, test etc); score; rating; grade |
| 分配 | fēnpèi | to distribute; to assign |
| 分组 | fēn zǔ | to divide into groups; group (formed from a larger group) |
| 分手 | fēnshǒu | to part company; to split up |
Questions about 分裂
What does 分裂 mean?
分裂 (fēnliè) means "to split up; to divide" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 分裂?
分裂 is made of 2 characters: 分 (4 strokes), 裂 (12 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 分裂 an HSK word?
Yes. 分裂 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 分裂 and 分开?
分开 (fēnkāi) is neutral and everyday, used for separating objects or people. 分裂 suggests a break inside something that was whole, often with conflict, like a political party or a nation.
How do you say split personality in Chinese?
Chinese uses 人格分裂 (réngé fēnliè) for split personality, and 精神分裂症 (jīngshén fēnlièzhèng) for schizophrenia. Both build on the idea of something whole breaking apart.