分别
respectively; each one separately
Structure
A、B 分别 是／动词 X、Y
What it means
“Respectively” or “each separately”: matches several things to their items one by one, or says an action was done to each in turn.
How it is built
A、B + 分别 + 是／verb + X、Y: 四个直辖市分别是北京、上海、天津和重庆 (The four municipalities are, respectively, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing).
When to use it
Use it when two lists match in order, or when one person deals with several people one at a time: 我分别给他们两个人打了电话. 都 treats them all together; 分别 takes them one by one.
Watch out
As an adverb 分别 goes before the verb: ✗ 分别四个直辖市是… ✓ 四个直辖市分别是… The same word is also a verb, “to part”: 我们在机场分别了.
Examples
四个直辖市分别是北京、上海、天津和重庆。
The four municipalities are, respectively, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing.
我分别给他们两个人打了电话。
I phoned each of the two of them separately.
Learn this in Lesson 1 · HSK 5: 中国的行政区划 (How the country is divided)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. This lesson is free.
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