分

Formed as a phono-semantic compound (sometimes also seen as pictographic/ideographic):

刀 (knife, 刂) — semantic element, symbolizing cutting or dividing.

八 (to split, divide, separate) — graphic component, showing divergence.

Together they depict the act of cutting apart into portions, hence “to divide.”

Semantic range:

- to divide, separate, distinguish (나누다, 가르다);

- portion, share, part (분량, 일부);

- role, duty, position, status (신분, 성분);

Unit of measurement:

- time — minute (1/60 of an hour);

- currency — 1/100 of a yuan, yen, or won;

- degree — fraction, score, percentage (점수).

분할 (分割) — division, partition

부분 (部分) — a part, section

신분 (身分) — social status, identity

성분 (成分) — ingredient, composition

기분 (氣分) — mood, feeling

점수/득점 (得分) — score, points

분명 (分明) — clear, distinct

시간 단위 — 10분 (十分钟 “ten minutes”)

화폐 단위 — 1분 = 1/100 of currency unit

In Confucian thought, 分 often conveys the idea of proper roles and distinctions within social and moral order. For instance, 君子 (junzi, “the noble person”) acts “according to his 分” — fulfilling one’s allotted role and responsibility. The phrase 安分 (안분, to be content with one’s station) reflects the Confucian virtue of knowing one’s proper place.

Thus 分 extends beyond physical division to embody the principle of cosmic and social differentiation, where harmony arises when each part fulfills its role.