瓜分

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

Significado

Repartirse; partir y dividir entre varios (con matiz de disputa).

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.

Ejemplos

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。
2. 企业倒闭后，其资产被多名债权人按比例瓜分。
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。

Guía de uso

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

Tono: critical

Correcto

• 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.)

Incorrecto

• 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

Origen e historia

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

Contexto cultural

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

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Educated speakers; historical and political contexts