分辨
fēnbiàn · HSK 7
distinguish
🔍 fēn (divide) + biàn (distinguish) — split things apart to tell them apart
The first character 分 means to divide or separate. The second 辨 means to distinguish, with two 辛 (bitter/hard) halves flanking 刀 (knife). Cutting things apart is how you differentiate them.
分 — knife 刀 + eight 八 (split apart)
分 originally depicted a knife (刀) cutting something into two parts, shown by 八 above (which itself meant 'divide'). The core sense is 'to divide' or 'split', from which extended meanings like 'portion', 'minute', and 'part' developed. Pronounced fèn, it carries the sense of an allotted share.