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˦˩]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [fəŋ˨˩]
Audio (Hà Nội): (file)
Audio (Saigon): (file)

Noun

phần

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
(television) a season; a series
Meronym: tập (“episode”)
(film) a prequel or a sequel
(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
tenth part
- 2005 [1957–1959], chapter 21, in Cao Tự Thanh, transl., Anh hùng xạ điêu, Nhà xuất bản Văn học, translation of 射雕英雄传 by Kim Dung [Jin Yong]:
  – 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”)

Derived terms

Particle

phần

(arithmetic) used in fractions, between the numerator and the denominator; per; -th
một phần tư ― one fourth

năm mươi phần trăm ― fifty percent

Verb

phần

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