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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'separately' with 分 (fēn)

    Manner & Method
    Sequence & Order

    Structure

    分 + Verb

    Explanation

    The adverb 分 (fēn) can mean "separately" or "individually," indicating that an action is done in a divided or distributed manner. It is often used as a prefix or part of a compound like 分别 (fēnbié, separately) or 分开 (fēnkāi, to separate). On its own, it conveys the core idea of division or separation.

    Examples

    • 这些文件要分开放，不能混在一起。

      zhèxiē wénjiàn yào fēnkāi fàng, bù néng hùn zài yìqǐ.

      These documents should be kept separately, they can't be mixed together.

    • 我们分两组讨论这个问题吧。

      wǒmen fēn liǎng zǔ tǎolùn zhège wèntí ba.

      Let's split into two groups to discuss this issue.

    • 老师把作业分三次批改完了。

      lǎoshī bǎ zuòyè fēn sān cì pīgǎi wán le.

      The teacher finished grading the homework in three batches.

    Similar Grammar

    Expressing 'separately' with 分 (fēn) | Chinese Grammar