Fine lignite dry cleaning, which has the significant advantage of without process water, is becoming increasingly important due to global water shortage. Lignite particles of various compositions were experimentally studied in a vibrated gas-fluidized bed. This is the first report of the size-based segregation of fine particles in the vibrated gas-fluidized bed. Experimental results demonstrate that the -2 +0.5 mm lignite particles play an irreplaceable role in particle fluidization and segregation. To ensure good separation performance, the minimum content of -2 +0.5 mm lignite particles should be 13%. Separation results show that for -6 +0.5 mm lignite particles, the ash contents of clean coal and tailings are 23% and 45%, with the corresponding yields of 82% and 18%, respectively, which shows good separation performance.