成分
せいぶん · seibun · JLPT N2 · noun
component
🥕 成 = make up + 分 = part: 成分 = the parts that make up a whole
Seibun combines 成 (to form or make up) and 分 (a part or portion). Ingredients in food and components in a machine are both parts that together make up the whole.
成 — 戊 (halberd/weapon) + 丁 (nail/man)
Originally a pictograph of a halberd or axe-like weapon, suggesting the act of completing a task by force. Over time it shifted from 'to subdue' to the broader meaning 'to accomplish' or 'to become'. The 丁 element inside also hints at the chéng sound.
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.