phần

See also: Appendix:Variations of "phan"

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 分 (“part; portion”), 份, from Middle Chinese 分 (bjunH), 份 (bjunH).

The huyền tone here is rather problematic. The regular tone derivation pattern, based on the original Middle Chinese tone and onset consonant would be as follows:

• 分 (bjunH, “portion”, 去聲／去声 (qùshēng, “departing tone”), 全濁聲母／全浊声母 (quánzhuó shēngmǔ, “voiced obstruent onset”)) > Vietnamese phận, Mandarin 分 (fèn), Cantonese 分 (fan6)
• 分 (pjun, “to divide”, 平聲／平声 (píngshēng, “level tone”), 清聲母／清声母 (qīng shēngmǔ, “voiceless obstruent onset”)) > Vietnamese phân, Mandarin 分 (fēn), Cantonese 分 (fan1)

The huyền tone suggests an unattested Middle Chinese reading:

• 分 (*bjun, “portion”, level tone, voiced obstruent onset) > Vietnamese phần

Alternatively, the huyền tone suggests non-Classical Chinese origin. Compare hè and hạ, mùi and vị, vì and vị.

Doublet of phân and phận. Cognate with Mandarin 分 (fèn) and Cantonese 分 (fan6). See also phần tử and phân tử, and Phần Lan.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [fən˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [fəŋ˦˩]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [fəŋ˨˩]

• Audio (Hồ Chí Minh City)

  (file)

Noun

phần

1. a part of something that may or may not be divided from a larger whole; a part, a portion, a ration, etc.

   phần lớn ― the majority

2. (television) a season; a series

   Meronym: tập (“episode”)

3. (film) a prequel or a sequel
4. (arithmetic) a decimal place

   Coordinate term: hàng (“integer place”)

   phần chục ― the first decimal place; the tenths place

   phần trăm ― the second decimal place; the hundredths place

   phần nghìn ― the third decimal place; the thousandths place

5. tenth part
   • 2005, chapter 21, in Cao Tự Thanh, transl., Anh hùng xạ điêu, Văn học, translation of 射雕英雄传 by Jīn Yōng (Kim Dung):

     – Cha ta tinh thông thuật âm dương ngũ hành, con gái ông tự nhiên cũng biết được ba phần, […]

     "My father is expert in yin-yang and five-element techniques; as his daughter naturally I know a little as well, […]"

     (literally, “I know three tenths as well”)

Related terms

• đa phần (“majority”)

Particle

phần

1. (arithmetic) used in fractions, between the numerator and the denominator; per; -th

   một phần tư ― one fourth

   năm mươi phần trăm ― fifty percent

See also

• phân số
• tử số
• mẫu số

Verb

phần

1. (colloquial) Short for để phần (“to set a share aside”).