The Chinese word 四分之一 (sì fēn zhī yī), meaning "one-fourth", is formed through a logical and grammatical structure common to fractions in the language. It is built by sequentially stating the denominator, the action of division, a possessive/linking particle, and finally the numerator: 四 (sì, four) acts as the denominator; 分 (fēn, meaning "to divide") indicates the operation of division; 之 (zhī, a classical particle similar to "'s" or "of") links the parts to show possession (i.e., "a division of four"); and 一 (yī, one) is the numerator, completing the phrase to mean literally "one part of a division into four". This pattern (denominator + 分 + 之 + numerator) is the standard template for expressing all fractions in Chinese.