分わかれる

わ

か

れ

る

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

branch; fork; diverge

Used for roads, rivers, paths, or abstract courses that split into two or more directions.

この道みちは駅えきの前まえで二ふたつに分わかれる。
This road branches into two in front of the station.
川かわが山やま

の

ふもと

で

三みっ

つ

に

分わ

かれ

て

いる

。

The river splits into three at the foot of the mountain.

2

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

separate; split; divide

Describes people, groups, or things moving apart or being divided into parts. Often used for breakups, group splits, or physical separation.

会かい議ぎのあと、参さん加か者しゃは三みっつのグループに分わかれた。
After the meeting, the participants split into three groups.
二人ふたりはけんかして、結けっ局きょく分わかれることになった。
They had a fight and ended up separating.

3

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

disperse; scatter

Used when a crowd, group, or collection of things spreads out and goes in different directions.

デモ隊たいは警けい察さつの指し示じで四し方ほうに分わかれた。
The demonstrators dispersed in all directions on the police's orders.

Written forms

分わかれるUsage84%
Standard kanji spelling for branching, separating, and dispersing.
わかれるUsage11%
分わかれるUsage5%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not commonly used in modern writing.
岐わかれるUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form specifically for branching or forking, such as a road or river.

Kanji

分part, minute of time, segment
岐branch off, fork in road, scene

Similar words

分わける
分ける is the transitive counterpart meaning 'to divide' or 'to split' something, while 分かれる is intransitive and describes the state of splitting or separating.
別わかれる
別れる specifically means 'to part from a person' or 'to break up', often with emotional nuance. 分かれる is broader and covers physical branching, splitting, and dispersing.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 分く (waku, 'to divide'), which is the older transitive form. The intransitive 分かれる developed from the classical intransitive form 分かる (wakaru), which later shifted to the modern 分かれる.