三十分 (sān shí fēn) — 30 points (score); 30 minutes (time duration)

Definition

A literal '30 minutes' (duration) or '30 points' (score) — same characters, disambiguated only by context.

noun
30 points (score)30 minutes (time duration)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 三十分。
    Zhè cì kǎo shì wǒ dé le sān shí fēn.
    I got 30 points on this exam.
  • 三十分。
    Bǐ sài hái yǒu sān shí fēn jiù jié shù le.
    The game will end in 30 minutes.
  • 三十分。
    Tā pǎo le sān shí fēn jiù lèi le.
    He got tired after running for 30 minutes.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

三十thirty
三sānthree十shíten
偏正Modifier + head
分fēnpoint/minute

三 and 十 make thirty, giving 分 as points or minutes.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

三 is drawn as three parallel strokes, like 一 with one stroke and 二 with two.

Open 三 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early shape 十 was mostly a single vertical stroke, sometimes with a dot, and later gained a horizontal stroke to form a cross. For the number ten, it marked the next digit above one.

Open 十 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →

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