<p>In simplified, it's 身份证. <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E8%BA%AB%E4%BB%BD%E8%AF%81" rel="nofollow">http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E8%BA%AB%E4%BB%BD%E8%AF%81</a></p>

<p>In traditional, it's 身分證. <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%BA%AB%E5%88%86%E8%AD%89" rel="nofollow">http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%BA%AB%E5%88%86%E8%AD%89</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T09:26:30.053Z
No it's not... they're pronounced differently as well.
50-3
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T17:46:53.290Z
Check your traditional link. It's 身份證 (not 身分證)
amateur
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T09:05:50.267Z
2014-02-06T06:07:19.080Z
2014-02-06T06:07:19.080Z
orzFly
<p>The character 分 has two different readings. As fen1, it has a range of meanings.  As fen4, it can mean a role or part played by a person, a more general part or portion of something, or a component.  Fen4 can also be written 份, and dictionaries I consulted from both Taiwan and the mainland don’t seem to differ here.</p>

<p>The Far East Chinese-English Dictionary, pretty much the standard bilingual dictionary in Taiwan, has the following: 身分證  or  身份證 shēnfènzhèng ‘ID card’.</p>

<p>The Chinese-English Dictionary from the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press is a mainland publication.  It has 身分证  or 身份证  shēnfenzhèng ‘ID card’.  This dictionary does one thing a bit differently – it divides the meanings of fen4 into those which can be written with either character and those which use only 分.  In the latter category is 分外  ‘especially’.  But this doesn’t affect the term for ID card.</p>

<p>There may be some cross-strait difference in actual usage between分 and 份 in this word, but as I have shown here, according to dictionaries both forms are acceptable wherever you are!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T13:34:59.220Z
2014-02-05T13:34:59.220Z
neubau
<p>When wanting to learn the word for "ID card" I seem to find both "身份证" and "身分证".</p>

<p>They both have the same pronunciation "shēnfèn zhèng".</p>

<p>I don't think they differ by being traditional vs simplified?</p>

<p>What exactly is the difference? Can I use either one? Is it maybe regional?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T09:30:43.073Z
分 is first tone 份 is forth tone. according to [MDGB](http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E8%BA%AB%E4%BB%BD%E8%AF%81#) they are different ways of writing the same thing. 身份證｜身份证 | 身分证 all are the same
50-3
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T09:33:34.713Z
Also as per Tone sandhi 身分证 should be pronounced 'shènfēn zhèng' so this gets my +1 for being interesting
50-3
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T10:00:50.600Z
@50-3: Google Translate gives `Shēnfèn zhèng` for both of them, but I recognize it's not authoritative on such matters.
hippietrail
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T10:07:44.197Z
and I got my rules mixed up, still should be Shēnfēn zhèng for 身分证 which makes it interesting but ignore the able reference
50-3
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T10:24:41.877Z
Not interchangeable. Only Taiwan uses "身分證", other places use "身份证/身份證". This is not an issue about traditional vs simplified either. For the pronunciation, you're right, they are both `shēnfèn zhèng` (@50-3 you may check the [重編國語辭典](http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/)).
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T10:25:54.507Z
@Stan: If you can flesh this out with some links or references to dictionaries you'll get the prize (-:
hippietrail
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T10:29:05.163Z
@Stan Sorry my Chinese isn't up to that level, what are you trying to show me?
50-3
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T12:42:35.130Z
We don't say 身分證. I've never seen this.
Leon
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T17:39:48.507Z
On a search, I find 身分证 is only used in Taiwan.
amateur
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T17:52:14.723Z
@amateur: So it looks pretty much to be regional orthographic (spelling) difference.
hippietrail
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T21:04:21.450Z
+1 interesting. I will do some research on this and probably add the alt form to Wiktionary.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-05T21:20:59.483Z
@deutschZuid: I already added the second form to the English Wiktionary's translation table in the "ID card" entry. But I think neither spelling had a full entry of its own.
hippietrail
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-06T02:11:13.873Z
It's 身分証 in Japanese, so don't know if Japanese rule in Taiwan could have influenced the Taiwanese way of writing it. 份 is not in common use in Japan.
dainichi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-02-06T02:22:33.860Z
@50-3 Oh I was to leave an authoritative dictionary in Taiwan for referring to the pronunciation of 身分證 :)
Stan
<word-choice><topolect><spelling>
Are "身份证" and "身分证" totally interchangeable?
# Are "身份证" and "身分证" totally interchangeable?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-02-05)

When wanting to learn the word for "ID card" I seem to find both "身份证" and "身分证".

They both have the same pronunciation "shēnfèn zhèng".

I don't think they differ by being traditional vs simplified?

What exactly is the difference? Can I use either one? Is it maybe regional?

**Tags:** word-choice, topolect, spelling

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 分 is first tone 份 is forth tone. according to [MDGB](http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=%E8%BA%AB%E4%BB%BD%E8%AF%81#) they are different ways of writing the same thing. 身份證｜身份证 | 身分证 all are the same  
> **username_1**: Also as per Tone sandhi 身分证 should be pronounced 'shènfēn zhèng' so this gets my +1 for being interesting  
> **username_0**: @username_1: Google Translate gives `Shēnfèn zhèng` for both of them, but I recognize it's not authoritative on such matters.  
> **username_1**: and I got my rules mixed up, still should be Shēnfēn zhèng for 身分证 which makes it interesting but ignore the able reference  
> **username_2**: Not interchangeable. Only Taiwan uses "身分證", other places use "身份证/身份證". This is not an issue about traditional vs simplified either. For the pronunciation, you're right, they are both `shēnfèn zhèng` (@username_1 you may check the [重編國語辭典](http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/)).  
> **username_0**: @username_2: If you can flesh this out with some links or references to dictionaries you'll get the prize (-:  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Sorry my Chinese isn't up to that level, what are you trying to show me?  
> **username_3**: We don't say 身分證. I've never seen this.  
> **username_4**: On a search, I find 身分证 is only used in Taiwan.  
> **username_0**: @username_4: So it looks pretty much to be regional orthographic (spelling) difference.  
> **username_5**: +1 interesting. I will do some research on this and probably add the alt form to Wiktionary.  
> **username_0**: @username_5: I already added the second form to the English Wiktionary's translation table in the "ID card" entry. But I think neither spelling had a full entry of its own.  
> **username_6**: It's 身分証 in Japanese, so don't know if Japanese rule in Taiwan could have influenced the Taiwanese way of writing it. 份 is not in common use in Japan.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 Oh I was to leave an authoritative dictionary in Taiwan for referring to the pronunciation of 身分證 :)  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_8 on 2014-02-05. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

The character 分 has two different readings. As fen1, it has a range of meanings. As fen4, it can mean a role or part played by a person, a more general part or portion of something, or a component. Fen4 can also be written 份, and dictionaries I consulted from both Taiwan and the mainland don’t seem to differ here.

The Far East Chinese-English Dictionary, pretty much the standard bilingual dictionary in Taiwan, has the following: 身分證 or 身份證 shēnfènzhèng ‘ID card’.

The Chinese-English Dictionary from the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press is a mainland publication. It has 身分证 or 身份证 shēnfenzhèng ‘ID card’. This dictionary does one thing a bit differently – it divides the meanings of fen4 into those which can be written with either character and those which use only 分. In the latter category is 分外 ‘especially’. But this doesn’t affect the term for ID card.

There may be some cross-strait difference in actual usage between分 and 份 in this word, but as I have shown here, according to dictionaries both forms are acceptable wherever you are!


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### Answer by username_7 on 2014-02-05. Score: 0

In simplified, it's 身份证. <http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E8%BA%AB%E4%BB%BD%E8%AF%81>

In traditional, it's 身分證. <http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%BA%AB%E5%88%86%E8%AD%89>

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: No it's not... they're pronounced differently as well.  
> **username_4**: Check your traditional link. It's 身份證 (not 身分證)  

---

