五分之四 (wǔ fēn zhī sì) — four-fifths

Definition

Fraction meaning 'four-fifths' (4/5): numerator 五 + 之 + denominator 分之 + numerator. 之 links the two numbers; the denominator comes before 之.

numeral

four-fifths

五分之四。
wǔ fēn zhī sì De xué shēng dōu tōng guò le kǎo shì.
Four-fifths of the students passed the exam.
五分之四。
Zhè piàn sēn lín zhàn le quán dǎo wǔ fēn zhī sì de miàn jī.
This forest covers four-fifths of the island.
五分之四，。
Wǒ men dǎ suàn wǔ fēn zhī sì de rén zuò huǒ chē, qí yú de rén zuò fēi jī.
We plan for four-fifths of the people to take the train, and the rest to fly.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

An older form had a crossed mark between a top bar and a bottom bar. The modern 五 keeps those bars, while the original idea is uncertain.

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

八刀分

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

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

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 四 was drawn as a nose breathing out. It later came to be used for the word four.