The Chinese word 分担 (fēndān) is a compound verb formed by combining two individual characters, each contributing to the overall meaning. The first character, 分 (fēn), carries the core idea of "dividing," "separating," or "sharing out." The second character, 担 (dān), means "to bear," "to carry," or "to shoulder" a burden or responsibility. When combined in this verb-verb structure, 分 modifies 担, creating the holistic meaning "to share the burden of," implying a collective or distributed action where a responsibility, task, cost, or emotional weight is divided and borne among multiple parties.