分配

• Pinyin: fēn pèi
• Hanzi breakdown: 分 = 八 (divide) + 刀 (knife), meaning to divide; 配 = 酉 (wine vessel) + 己 (self), meaning to match or distribute

Meaning

To distribute; to allocate; to assign. Dividing resources or tasks among people.

Used for distributing work tasks, resources, time, or wealth. Common in workplace, educational, and policy contexts. Can imply an authority figure making allocation decisions.

Examples

1. 老师给每个小组分配了不同的任务。 The teacher assigned different tasks to each group.
2. 公司按照工作量分配奖金。 The company distributes bonuses according to workload.
3. 你要合理分配自己的时间。 You need to allocate your time reasonably.

Usage Guide

Context: work, academic, management

Tone: authoritative

Do Say

• 经理已经分配好了每个人的工作。(The manager has already assigned everyone's work.)
• 资源应该公平地分配给每个人。(Resources should be fairly distributed to everyone.)

Don't Say

• 我分配了一块蛋糕给他 (For simply giving someone a piece of cake, use 分了 or 给了, not 分配 — 分配 implies systematic allocation, not casual sharing)

Origin & History

Compound of 分 (divide, separate) and 配 (match, distribute), together meaning to divide and distribute among recipients.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal