Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 分之
Fractions are a universal way to express parts of a whole, and Mandarin Chinese uses the phrase “分之 (fēn zhī)” to do this.
In this lesson, we’ll explore how to use “分之” to express fractions.
HOW 分之 WORKS
“分之” acts as a bridge between the denominator and numerator in a fraction.
PATTERN
[Denominator] + 分之 + [Numerator]
For example:
1/2: 二分之一 (èr fēn zhī yī)
3/4: 四分之三 (sì fēn zhī sān)
5/8: 八分之五 (bā fēn zhī wǔ)
Think of it as saying, “Out of how many parts (denominator), how many are we talking about (numerator)?” This matches the natural flow of the Chinese language.
| MANDARIN | PINYIN | ENGLISH | FRACTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 二分之一 | èr fēn zhī yī | One-half | 1/2 |
| 四分之三 | sì fēn zhī sān | Three-fourths | 3/4 |
| 五分之二 | wǔ fēn zhī èr | Two-fifths | 2/5 |
| 七分之四 | qī fēn zhī sì | Four-sevenths | 4/7 |
| 九分之六 | jiǔ fēn zhī liù | Six-ninths | 6/9 |
View More Examples:
| MANDARIN | PINYIN | ENGLISH | FRACTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 八分之七 | bā fēn zhī qī | Seven-eighths | 7/8 |
| 十二分之五 | shí èr fēn zhī wǔ | Five-twelfths | 5/12 |
| 十分之三 | shí fēn zhī sān | Three-tenths | 3/10 |
| 十一分之九 | shí yī fēn zhī jiǔ | Nine-elevenths | 9/11 |
| 十三分之十 | shí sān fēn zhī shí | Ten-thirteenths | 10/13 |
Fractions in everyday Chinese
| MANDARIN PHASE | PINYIN | ENGLISH | SCENARIO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 她吃了蛋糕的四分之三。 | tā chī le dàn gāo de sì fēn zhī sān | She ate three-fourths of the cake. | Three-fourths of a cake |
| 这本书我读了三分之二。 | zhè běn shū wǒ dú le sān fēn zhī èr | I read two-thirds of the book. | Two-thirds of a book |
| 他吃了馅饼的四分之一。 | tā chī le xiàn bǐng de sì fēn zhī yī | He ate one-fourth of the pie. | One-fourth of the pie |
| 这幅画完成了八分之五。 | zhè fú huà wán chéng le bā fēn zhī wǔ | Five-eighths of this painting is completed. | Five-eighths of a painting |
View More Examples:
| MANDARIN PHASE | PINYIN | ENGLISH | SCENARIO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 这项工作完成了十分之三。 | zhè xiàng gōng zuò wán chéng le shí fēn zhī sān | Three-tenths of this work is done. | Three-tenths of the work |
| 他们已经走了七分之四的路程。 | tā men yǐ jīng zǒu le qī fēn zhī sì de lù chéng | They have traveled four-sevenths of the route. | Four-sevenths of the route |
| 这个项目的工作已经完成了十一分之九。 | zhè ge xiàng mù de gōng zuò yǐ jīng wán chéng le shí yī fēn zhī jiǔ | Nine-elevenths of the work on this project is done. | Nine-elevenths of the effort |
| 用了十二分之七的材料。 | yòng le shí èr fēn zhī qī de cái liào | Seven-twelfths of the materials were used. | Seven-twelfths of the materials |
FRACTIONS IN PERCENTAGES
Did you know percentages also use “分之”?
50%: 百分之五十 (bǎi fēn zhī wǔ shí)
When discussing fractions in Chinese, one very common and useful conversion is turning a fraction into a percentage (百分比, bǎi fēn bǐ). Percentages represent a fraction out of 100 (百, bǎi), making them a familiar and convenient way to express proportions in daily life, business, and news reports.
A percentage is simply a fraction out of 100, and it is written as 百分之 (bǎi fēn zhī) in Chinese. For example, 50% (fifty percent) means 50 out of 100, and in Chinese, it is 百分之五十 (bǎi fēn zhī wǔ shí).
To convert a fraction into a percentage:
Multiply the fraction by 100.
Add the percentage symbol “百分之” (bǎi fēn zhī) in Chinese.
For example, converting 1/2 into a percentage:
1/2 = 50%
In Chinese: 二分之一 = 百分之五十 (èr fēn zhī yī = bǎi fēn zhī wǔ shí).
PATTERN
Fraction: [Numerator] + 分之一 (fēn zhī yī)
Percentage: 百分之 + [Numerator]
Examples:
| Mandarin Phrase | Pinyin | English Translation | Fraction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 百分之五十 | bǎi fēn zhī wǔ shí | Fifty percent | 50% |
| 百分之七十五 | bǎi fēn zhī qī shí wǔ | Seventy-five percent | 75% |
| 百分之六十 | bǎi fēn zhī liù shí | Sixty percent | 60% |
| 百分之二十五 | bǎi fēn zhī èr shí wǔ | Twenty-five percent | 25% |
| 百分之三十三 | bǎi fēn zhī sān shí sān | Thirty-three percent | 33% |
| 百分之八十 | bǎi fēn zhī bā shí | Eighty percent | 80% |
BONUS || Learn more about mathematics vocabulary in Chinese here.
USING 占 (ZHÀN) AND 是 (SHÌ) WITH 分之
In formal contexts like news reports, statistics are often presented using the word 占 (zhàn), which means “comprises,” “makes up,” or “accounts for.” This is commonly paired with the fraction structure “分之.”
PATTERN
A + 是 / 占 + B + 的 + [Denominator] + 分之 + [Numerator]
A: The part being described.
B: The whole it belongs to.
Denominator 分之 Numerator: The fraction A represents of B.
This structure is especially useful for expressing percentages and ratios in a formal style.
| Example Sentence | Pinyin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 女性占公司员工的二分之一。 | nǚ xìng zhàn gōng sī yuán gōng de èr fēn zhī yī | Women make up one-half of the company’s employees. |
| 大学生占人口的十分之三。 | dà xué shēng zhàn rén kǒu de shí fēn zhī sān | College students comprise three-tenths of the population. |
| 中国出口占全球市场的四分之一。 | zhōng guó chū kǒu zhàn quán qiú shì chǎng de sì fēn zhī yī | Chinese exports account for one-fourth of the global market. |
| 参与投票的选民占总人数的五分之三。 | cān yù tóu piào de xuǎn mín zhàn zǒng rén shù de wǔ fēn zhī sān | Voters who participated in the election comprise three-fifths of the total population. |
View More Examples:
| Example Sentence | Pinyin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 农业收入占该地区总收入的三分之一。 | nóng yè shōu rù zhàn gāi dì qū zǒng shōu rù de sān fēn zhī yī | Agricultural income makes up one-third of the total income in this area. |
| 儿童读者占图书馆借阅者的四分之三。 | ér tóng dú zhě zhàn tú shū guǎn jiè yuè zhě de sì fēn zhī sān | Children readers account for three-fourths of the library’s borrowers. |
| 非机动车占城市道路车辆的五分之二。 | fēi jī dòng chē zhàn chéng shì dào lù chē liàng de wǔ fēn zhī èr | Non-motorized vehicles make up two-fifths of the vehicles on city roads. |
| 网络购物占零售业总销售额的八分之五。 | wǎng luò gòu wù zhàn líng shòu yè zǒng xiāo shòu é de bā fēn zhī wǔ | Online shopping comprises five-eighths of the total retail sales. |
| 外国游客占该景点游客的七分之一。 | wài guó yóu kè zhàn gāi jǐng diǎn yóu kè de qī fēn zhī yī | Foreign tourists account for one-seventh of visitors to this attraction. |
| 太阳能发电占全市能源供应的十分之四。 | tài yáng néng fā diàn zhàn quán shì néng yuán gōng yìng de shí fēn zhī sì | Solar power accounts for four-tenths of the city’s energy supply. |
KEY NOTES
占 (zhàn) is a formal and versatile word used in statistical contexts.
The structure often appears in news, reports, and analyses where fractions or percentages need to be expressed precisely.
While “占” (zhàn) is more common in formal contexts when presenting statistical proportions. “是” (shì) can also be used with “分”之.
Since “是” doesn’t carry the specific meaning of “comprises” or “makes up,” it can be used with 分之 to express a more neutral, less formal idea of equivalence.
KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 是 AND 占
1. 是:
“是” is used to equate two things (A = B). It’s a general verb for stating that one thing is another.
女性是公司员工的二分之一
Women are one-half of the company’s employees.This construction focuses on the relationship between A and B.
2. 占:
占 specifically indicates that A “makes up” or “comprises” a certain proportion of B. It has an inherent meaning of “taking up a part of” something and is more precise for discussing ratios or percentages.
女性占公司员工的二分之一
Women make up one-half of the company’s employees.This construction focuses on the proportion or statistical relationship of A to B.
3. When to use 是 with 分之:
“是” can still be used with “分之” to express a more neutral, less formal idea of equivalence.
三分之一是大学生。
One-third are college students.4. When both 是 and 占 can be used
Sometimes, you can use both “是” and “占” in the same sentence.
大学生是人口的三分之一，约占三千万人。
College students are one-third of the population, accounting for about 30 million people.Let’s see some examples:
| Example Sentence | Pinyin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 四分之一是外国游客。 | sì fēn zhī yī shì wài guó yóu kè | One-fourth are foreign tourists. |
| 五分之三是大学生。 | wǔ fēn zhī sān shì dà xué shēng | Three-fifths are college students. |
| 十分之二是农业工人。 | shí fēn zhī èr shì nóng yè gōng rén | Two-tenths are agricultural workers. |
| 三分之一是新能源车辆。 | sān fēn zhī yī shì xīn néng yuán chē liàng | One-third are new energy vehicles. |
View More Examples:
| Example Sentence | Pinyin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 八分之五是公共投资。 | bā fēn zhī wǔ shì gōng gòng tóu zī | Five-eighths are public investments. |
| 七分之四是女性员工。 | qī fēn zhī sì shì nǚ xìng yuán gōng | Four-sevenths are female employees. |
| 九分之六是社区活动参与者。 | jiǔ fēn zhī liù shì shè qū huó dòng cān yù zhě | Six-ninths are participants in community activities. |
| 二分之一是图书馆会员。 | èr fēn zhī yī shì tú shū guǎn huì yuán | One-half are library members. |
| 六分之五是长期客户。 | liù fēn zhī wǔ shì cháng qī kè hù | Five-sixths are long-term customers. |
| 十分之七是年轻观众。 | shí fēn zhī qī shì nián qīng guān zhòng | Seven-tenths are young viewers. |
Comparison of “是” and “占”
| 是 | 占 | |
|---|---|---|
| Usage | Neutral, descriptive equivalence | Formal, statistical, proportional |
| Typical Contexts | Conversational or general | News, reports, precise statistics |
| Example | 三分之一是学生。 | 学生占人口的三分之一。 |
| Translation | One-third are students. | Students make up one-third of the population. |
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FAQs
How do you express a fraction using 分之?
The denominator comes first, followed by 分之, then the numerator (e.g., 三分之一 means “1/3”).
Can 分之 be used for percentages?
Yes, percentages are expressed as 百 (100) 分之 + number, e.g., 百分之五十 (50%).
Is 分之 only used for fractions?
While mainly used for fractions, 分之 can also express ratios and statistical data.
How do you say mixed fractions in Chinese?
State the whole number first, then the fraction (e.g., 二又三分之一 for “2 1/3”).
Can 分之 be replaced by other words?
No, 分之 is the standard way to express fractions in Chinese, and there’s no direct alternative.
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