jǐ​fēn

somewhat

jǐ, jī small table Simplified

Pictograph of a small table. In simplified Chinese is also used to mean "how much", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character .

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (3 of 13 verified)

Meaning (2 of 7 verified)

Unknown (0 of 2 verified)

Simplified (1)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-SagartkijXC.kr[ə]jʔ stool

說文解字

《說文》:“几,踞几也。象形。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.929漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

fēn, fèn, fen divide

Depicts a knife () being used to cut two things apart ().

Components

SoundIconic component
eight

Depicts two things being separated.

Change in sound
Iconic component
dāo knife

Character Evolution

Oracle form
Oracle Bone ~1250-1000 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Early Western Zhou ~1000 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (6 of 23 verified)

Meaning (0 of 6 verified)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartpjunpə[n] divide
bjunH[m]-pə[n]-s alloted duty

說文解字

《說文》:“分,別也。从八,从刀,刀以分別物也。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica

how much Traditional

Original meaning: danger

Depicts a weapon () cutting ropes (𢆶) tied around a person (). Based on the original meaning "danger". The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Components

𢆶
𢆶 Iconic component
yōu, zī threads
Iconic component
spear
Iconic component
rén, ren person

Character Evolution

Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Bronze form
Bronze Mid Western Zhou ~900 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Regular Modern

Component uses

Sound (2 of 7 verified)

Remnant (1)

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartkj+jkəj small; almost
kj+jXkəjʔ few; how many

說文解字

《說文》:“幾,微也,殆也。从,从戍。戍,兵守也。而兵守者危也。”

Sources

Character origin
季旭昇《說文新證》p.318-319漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica