分辩 (fēn biàn) — to defend oneself (against an accusation); to o…

Definition

verb

to defend oneself (against an accusation)to offer an explanation

Easily confused

，分辩。
Miàn duì bù shí zhǐ kòng, tā lěng jìng dì wèi zì jǐ fēn biàn.
Facing false accusations, he calmly defended himself.
分辩，。
Tā shì tú fēn biàn, dàn duì fāng gēn běn bù tīng.
She tried to offer an explanation, but the other party wouldn't listen at all.
分辩。
Lǜ shī zài fǎ tíng shàng wèi dāng shì rén fǎn fù fēn biàn.
The lawyer repeatedly defended his client in court.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

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

分fēndistinguish

'分' means distinguish and '辩' means argue; together they express defending oneself with an explanation.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 辯; 辩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

辡

辡biàn辯biàn

Same sound today

The traditional form 辯 pairs 言, meaning say, with 辡, which gives the sound; the simplified 辩 is a later shorthand.