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分辨 (fēn biàn) — to distinguish; to differentiate

Definition

分辨 emphasizes working out which is which by careful effort (e.g. 真假, 方向), often with 把/出. More effortful than 区别 (stating a difference) and 区分 (classifying); narrower in focus than 辨别/鉴别.

verb
to distinguishto differentiate

Examples

  • 分辨。
    Tā hěn nán fēn biàn chū zhēn jiǎ.
    He has difficulty distinguishing truth from falsehood.
  • 分辨，。
    Nǐ yào xué huì fēn biàn shì fēi, bù néng máng mù gēn cóng.
    You must learn to distinguish right from wrong, not blindly follow.
  • 分辨。
    Zài hēi àn zhōng wǒ wú fǎ fēn biàn fāng xiàng.
    I couldn't distinguish direction in the darkness.

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fēnseparate
辨biàndistinguish

分 “separate” and 辨 “distinguish” combine to mean tell 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
刀刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
辡
辡biàn辨biàn
Same sound today

辨 pairs 刀 (knife) with 辡, made of two knives. The two knives suggest two prisoners accusing each other, giving different accounts that must be sorted out.

Open 辨 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Thinking & Cognition

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