分別

简 分别 · 繁 分別
Mandarin · pinyin fēn bié

Meanings

  1. to part; to leave each other
  2. to distinguish; to tell apart
  3. difference; distinction
  4. in different ways; differently
  5. separately; individually; respectively
Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

分
fēn · divide; small unit of time etc.
別
Look up this written character
别
bié · separate, other; do not
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

1–2 · fen1 bie2

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

3character links
Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗
Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

分別 · find source passages ↗ · 分别 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 5 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

fan1 bit6

Cantonese word readings for 分別. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

  1. to part; to leave each other
  2. to distinguish; to differentiate

adv

  1. separately
  2. respectively

noun

  1. difference

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

分別 · fen1 bie2
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source line 13,460
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source record分別 分别 [fen1 bie2] /to part; to leave each other/to distinguish; to tell apart/difference; distinction/in different ways; differently/separately; individually; respectively/