Recognize 分 in everyday Japanese and connect its meanings, part, minutes and understanding, with whole words in context.

The idea

Compare 分かる（わかる） and 三分（さんぷん） in the table: a character can have different readings in different words. 分 has 4 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
分かるわかるunderstand
三分さんぷんthree minutes
五分ごふんfive minutes
半分はんぶんhalf

Examples

  • 三分さんぷん待まってください。Please wait three minutes.
  • 五分ごふんで駅えきに着つきます。I will arrive at the station in five minutes.
  • 水みずを半分はんぶん飲のみます。I drink half the water.
  • この問題もんだいが分わかります。I understand this question.
  • 一分いっぷんだけ休やすみます。I will rest for just one minute.
  • 六分ろっぷんくらい歩あるきます。I walk for about six minutes.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

分 can refer to a part, as in 半分, or count minutes. The minute counter varies: 三分 is さんぷん, but 五分 is ごふん. 分かる is read わかる and means understand.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 分かる in hiragana.

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    わかる

    分かる is read わかる; the complete word means understand.

  2. Write the reading of 三分 in hiragana.

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    さんぷん

    三分 is read さんぷん; the complete word means three minutes.

  3. Fill in the missing kanji: 半＿（はんぶん）.

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    分

    分 completes 半分, read はんぶん; the complete word means half.

Use it today

Cover the table and write 分 from memory. Read 分かる and 三分 aloud, then make a sentence and check its meaning against the examples.