The Meaning of haibun [配分] In Japanese

配分
はいぶん
Romaji: haibun N3

What does 配分 mean?

Translation and Meaning

allocation, distribution, apportionment

Definition

What does 配分 mean? It denotes the allocation or distribution of resources, tasks, or portions among recipients or categories. It is used to describe how a whole is divided to meet constraints, priorities, or schedules in formal planning and everyday life.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • allocation of resources such as budget, personnel, or time
  • portioning or apportioning amounts among groups or categories
  • in planning or logistics, distribution of workloads or responsibilities
  • in statistics or budgeting contexts, assigning quantities to targets

Etymology

配 to distribute; 分 part; together they form a compound meaning distribution of parts; the reading haibun reflects the combination of these kanji and their on readings.

Origin

In classical and early modern Japan, the concept appeared in administrative contexts describing the allocation of resources like rice, taxes, and duties; later it broadened into corporate budgeting and public policy as administration modernized.

Composition

  • 配: to distribute, to arrange; conveys placing things in order or assigning
  • 分: part, share, portion; indicates a segment to be allocated

Usage

Used in formal settings such as government budgeting, corporate resource planning, and project scheduling, as well as in everyday life to describe dividing tasks, allowances, or shares among people or categories; typically occurs with verbs like 配分する or related nouns; formal usage in policy and economics contexts.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a planner with a tray handing out each part; 配 signals arranging or placing, 分 signals the part you receive, together they describe how a whole is divided.

Variations

  • 分配 (bunpai) — distribution, allocation
  • 割当 (wariate) — allocation, assignment
  • アロケーション (arōkēshon) — loanword, allocation

Example Phrases

  • 会議の予算を各チームに配分する
    Kaigi no yosan o kaku chiimu ni haibun suru
    Allocate the conference budget to each team.
    Lista:
    • 会議 (kaigi) – meeting
    • の (no) – of
    • 予算 (yosan) – budget
    • を (wo) – (object marker)
    • 各チームに (kaku chiimu ni) – to each team
    • 配分する (haibun suru) – allocate
    「配分」 é um substantivo que significa alocação/distribuição; aqui funciona com を para marcar o objeto e に para indicar o destinatário.
配分