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四分之三 (sì fēn zhī sān) — three quarters, three fourths (of something)

Definition

Literally 'three parts out of four' — the fraction pattern X分之Y means 'Y over X', read as the fraction 'Y Xths' (e.g. 四分之三 = three quarters). Used like a numeral before 的 to mean 'Y-Xths of…'.

numeral
three quartersthree fourths (of something)

Examples

  • 四分之三。
    sì fēn zhī sān De xué shēng tōng guò le kǎo shì.
    Three quarters of the students passed the exam.
  • 四分之三。
    Tā yǐ jīng wán chéng le sì fēn zhī sān de gōng zuò.
    He has already completed three quarters of the work.
  • 四分之三。
    Zhè ge dàn gāo wǒ zhī chī le sì fēn zhī sān.
    I only ate three quarters of this cake.

Origin

Characters in this word

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.

Open 四 →

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 →

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.

Open 之 →

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 →
Appears in
MathNumbers & Counting

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