纷 fēn tangled
tangled; scattered; numerous; confused
How to remember 纷: 纟 thread + 分 divide = tangled. The toddler grabs a ball of thread and divides it between the cat and the dog, and soon the whole living room is tangled.
Component breakdown
纷 = 纟 thread + 分 divide
- 纟 thread
- 分 divide
- 八 eight
- 刀 knife
The toddler grabs a ball of thread and divides it between the cat and the dog, and soon the whole living room is tangled.
How it is used
- Bound morpheme for "scattered, numerous, confused", almost always seen reduplicated as 纷纷 (fēnfēn), an adverb placed before a verb meaning "one after another, in quick succession": 大家纷纷发言 (dàjiā fēnfēn fāyán) "everyone spoke up one after another".
- 纠纷 (jiūfēn) "dispute, conflict" is common in legal/news contexts: 劳资纠纷 "labor dispute".
- 缤纷 (bīnfēn) "colorful, in profusion" is a more literary/poetic compound, often paired with colors: 五彩缤纷 "riotously colorful".