How to read 分: 7 readings with examples

The Jōyō Kanji table lists 7 readings for 分. Which one you use depends on the word it sits in, so learn the words below and the reading comes with them.

On'yomi

ブンbunフンfunブbu

Kun'yomi

わ(ける)wakeruわ(かれる)wakareruわ(かる)wakaruわ(かつ)wakatsu

Word	Reading	Type	Meaning
自分	じぶんjibun	On	oneself
分野	ぶんやbunya	On	field, area
十五分	じゅうごふんjuugofun	On	fifteen minutes
分厚い	ぶあついbuatsui	On	thick
分ける	わけるwakeru	Kun	to divide
分かれる	わかれるwakareru	Kun	to split, branch
分かる	わかるwakaru	Kun	to understand
分かち合う	わかちあうwakachiau	Kun	to share

How to tell which reading of 分 to use

ブン means part or share (自分, 半分).
フン means minutes, and it shifts after some numbers: 一分いっぷん, 三分さんぷん.
十分 is a classic trap: じゅっぷん means ten minutes, じゅうぶん means enough.
分かる (understand) and 分ける (divide) both use わ.

Seen in JapanCup noodle lids: 3分 is sanpun, three minutes.

Quiz

Can you read these sentences?

Why does one kanji have so many readings?

Kanji came to Japan from China over several centuries. Each wave brought the Chinese pronunciation of its time and place, and Japanese kept the older sounds alongside the newer ones. Those borrowed sounds are the on'yomi. For example, 生 is セイ in 先生 but ショウ in 一生. Japanese also attached its own native words to the characters, and those are the kun'yomi.

Sounds also shift when words join: ひ becomes び in 日曜日, ひと becomes びと in 人々, and ふん becomes ぷん in 三分. That is why the readings listed in a dictionary don't always match what you hear.