部分
bùfèn · HSK 2
partialness
🧩 部分 = 部 (department/section) + 分 (divide/portion)
部 means a department or division; 分 means to split or a share. Together 部分 is literally a divided-off section — a part of a whole. Used for any portion, segment, or department.
部 — 阝(邑) right + 咅 phonetic
The right-side 阝 derives from 邑 (city/settlement), giving the meaning of a region, district, or administrative division. The left side 咅 supplies the sound. Originally referring to a settlement, the meaning broadened to 'part,' 'section,' or 'ministry.'
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.