断片

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 断片 is read as だんぺん and means a fragment or partial piece separated from a whole.
• Basic usage: It can be a physical fragment of an old letter or only a fragment of a conversation.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A fragment of an object
  • 手紙の断片 is a surviving piece rather than a complete letter. Example: 古い手紙の断片が箱から見つかった。
• A fragment of information
  • 会話の断片 means only a partial piece of the full conversation. Example: 会話の断片だけでは全体の事情は分からない。