分段 (fēn duàn) — to divide into sections; to segment; to segment…

Definition

A general verb meaning 'to divide into sections or segments.' In linguistics it refers specifically to segmenting speech or text into units.

verb

to divide into sectionsto segmentto segment (speech or text in linguistics)

。
Zhè piān wén zhāng fēn chéng le sān dà duàn.
This article is divided into three major sections.
分段。
Zhè ge ruǎn jiàn kě yǐ zì dòng fēn duàn wén běn.
This software can automatically segment text.
，分段。
Zài yǔ yán xué zhōng, fēn duàn shì yí gè zhòng yào gài niàn.
In linguistics, segmentation is an important concept.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

“分” means divide and “段” means section, so the word means dividing into sections.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

殳殳shū

Sound part声符shēngfú

厂

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

段's shape shows 殳 as a hammer breaking a stone, with fragments flying off.