分数

• Pinyin: fēn shù
• Hanzi breakdown: 分 (fēn) — point, mark; 数 (shù) — number, count

Meaning

Score; grade; mark. The numerical result of a test, exam, or evaluation.

Commonly used in school and exam contexts. In China, exam scores carry significant weight in education. Can also refer to mathematical fractions, though the test score meaning is far more common in daily life.

Examples

1. 他这次考试的分数很高。 His score on this exam was very high.
2. 分数不是最重要的，学到东西才重要。 Scores aren't the most important thing — what matters is actually learning.
3. 老师今天公布了考试分数。 The teacher announced the exam scores today.

Usage Guide

Context: school, exams, evaluation

Tone: academic

Do Say

• 你的分数是多少？(What's your score?)
• 这次考试的分数比上次高。(The score on this exam is higher than last time.)

Don't Say

• 不要用'分数'指体育比赛的得分 — for sports scores, use 比分 instead of 分数, which is mainly for academic scores.

Origin & History

Compound of 分 (mark, point) and 数 (number). Together they mean 'the number of points' — a score.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal