📖 Meaning
To explain or analyze something in fine detail with precision and clarity, making all distinctions clear so there is no ambiguity. It conveys the idea of sorting things out distinctly, especially regarding who owns what or what belongs to whom.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom appears in Lao She's novel 'Biography of Niu Tianci' (牛天赐传), Chapter 20, published in the 20th century. In the passage, a character clearly distinguishes what belongs to whom, which makes the protagonist feel ashamed by contrast. Lao She (1899–1966) was one of modern China's most celebrated writers. The expression is a variant of the older idiom '分星擘两' (fēn xīng bò liǎng), both conveying the notion of making fine, precise distinctions.
💡 Example Usage
他把账目分三别两，每笔都交代得清清楚楚。
He sorted out the accounts item by item, explaining each entry with crystal clarity.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 分三别两
- Pinyin: fēn sān bié liǎng
- Literal Translation: divide, three, distinguish, two
- Category: Clarity
- Characters: 4