分拣 (fēn jiǎn) — to sort, to sort through (mail, parcels, items)

Definition

verb

to sortto sort through (mail, parcels, items)

分拣。
Kuài dì yuán zhèng zài fēn jiǎn bāo guǒ.
The courier is sorting parcels.
分拣。
Zhè ge jī qì kě yǐ zì dòng fēn jiǎn xìn jiàn.
This machine can automatically sort letters.
分拣。
Tā měi tiān de gōng zuò shì fēn jiǎn yóu jiàn.
His daily job is to sort mail.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

Dividing (分) and picking (拣) items into sorted order.

Characters in this word

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 揀; 拣 is its simplified writing.

扌柬揀

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhands

Sound part声符shēngfú

柬

柬jiǎn揀jiǎn

Same sound today

The traditional form 揀 pairs 扌 (hands) with 柬, the part that matches its pronunciation; this describes 揀 rather than 拣.