瓜分

• Pinyin: guā fēn
• Hanzi breakdown: 瓜 = pictograph of a gourd or melon on a vine — melon; 分 = 八 (divide) + 刀 (knife) — to cut, to divide, to split

Meaning

To carve up; to partition; to divide something up among multiple competing parties. Often implies aggressive or coercive division, especially of territory, assets, or resources.

Carries a strong connotation of aggressive or coercive division, particularly in historical contexts of colonial powers carving up territories. In modern business usage, it describes competitive players dividing market share. The image is of cutting a melon into pieces, aptly capturing a sense of dividing something whole into portions seized by different parties.

Examples

1. 十九世纪末，列强通过不平等条约瓜分了大量中国领土和权益。 In the late nineteenth century, the great powers carved up large portions of Chinese territory and interests through unequal treaties.
2. 企业倒闭后，其资产被多名债权人按比例瓜分。 After the company went bankrupt, its assets were divided among multiple creditors in proportion to what they were owed.
3. 几大互联网巨头正在激烈争夺，试图瓜分新兴市场中的份额。 Several internet giants are fighting fiercely, trying to carve up shares of an emerging market.

Usage Guide

Context: history, politics, business, law, international relations

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 帝国主义列强企图瓜分中国的野心，激起了中国人民的强烈反抗。(The imperialist powers' ambition to carve up China provoked fierce resistance from the Chinese people.)
• 公司清算后，剩余资产由法院主持，依法在各债权人之间进行瓜分。(After the company was liquidated, the remaining assets were distributed among the creditors under court supervision in accordance with the law.)

Don't Say

• 将'瓜分'用于平等友好的分配场合 — 瓜分 implies aggressive, competitive, or coercive division; for neutral or positive sharing use 分配 or 分享

Origin & History

瓜 (melon) + 分 (to divide; to split). The image is of cutting a melon into portions — each party takes a piece, leaving nothing whole.

Cultural Context

Era: Historical (19th–20th century colonial period)

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated speakers; historical and political contexts