少部分 (shǎo bù fen) — small part, small proportion

Definition

A noun meaning 'a small part or proportion' of something. Contrast with 大部分 ('the majority') — 少部分 highlights the minority share of a whole.

numeral

small partsmall proportion

少部分。
shǎo bù fen De xué shēng xǐ huan zhè zhǒng jiào xué fāng fǎ.
A small proportion of students like this teaching method.
少部分。
Zhè xiàng gōng zuò zhī shèng xià shǎo bù fen hái méi wán chéng.
Only a small part of this work remains unfinished.
少部分。
Tā zhī tóng yì le zhè ge jì huà de shǎo bù fen.
He only agreed with a small part of the plan.

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.

部分part

联合Side by side

少 means small, 部分 means part; together a small proportion.

Characters in this word

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

The form 少 is drawn as four dots, perhaps three grains of sand, to indicate a few or a little.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

咅

咅pǒu部bù

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.

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.