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分裂 (fēn liè) — to split, to divide (physically or metaphorically); to break up, to disintegrate (of a group, organization, etc.)

Definition

分裂 emphasizes a whole breaking apart into opposing or independent parts (a party, country, group) — more conflictual than 分离 (just 'to separate') and more political/organizational than 分割 ('to partition/divide').

verb
to splitto divide (physically or metaphorically)to break upto disintegrate (of a group, organization, etc.)

Examples

  • 分裂。
    Zhè kuài yán shí zài gāo wēn xià fēn liè chéng le liǎng kuài.
    This rock split into two pieces under high temperature.
  • 分裂。
    Gōng sī yīn wèi nèi bù máo dùn fēn liè chéng le liǎng gè dú lì de qǐ yè.
    Due to internal conflicts, the company split into two independent enterprises.
  • 分裂。
    Zhèng dǎng de fēn liè dǎo zhì le xuǎn jǔ shī bài.
    The split of the political party led to the election failure.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

分fēnsplit
裂liècrack

分 means splitting and 裂 means cracking, together describing breaking apart.

Characters in this word

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 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
列
列liè裂liè
Same sound today

裂 combines 衣 (clothes) with 列 for the sound. The picture of 列 shows bones cut by a blade and lined up, and the whole writes the idea of cutting and tearing clothes.

Open 裂 →
Appears in
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