Introduction
Dividir means “to divide”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Dividir means to divide, and it covers dividing a cake, a bill, a number and a group: dividir la cuenta, dividir el grupo en dos. It is a regular -ir verb, common in maths, cooking and everyday sharing. This page shows dividir in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Divido la cuenta entre todos.” — I divide the bill among everyone.
Dividir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how dividir is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use dividir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Divido la cuenta entre todos.” — I divide the bill among everyone.
“¿Divides el pastel en ocho partes?” — Do you divide the cake into eight pieces?
“Divide el grupo en dos equipos.” — He/she divides the group into two teams.
“Nosotros dividimos el número entre cuatro.” — We divide the number by four.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show dividir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo dividí la cuenta entre todos.” — Yesterday, I divided the bill among everyone. (preterite)
“Antes, él dividía el pastel en ocho partes.” — Before, he used to divide the cake into eight pieces. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of dividir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros dividiremos el grupo en dos equipos.” — Tomorrow, we will divide the group into two teams. (future)
“¿Tú has dividido el número entre cuatro?” — Have you divided the number by four? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros dividís la cuenta entre todos.” — You divide the bill among everyone.
“Ellos dividen el pastel en ocho partes.” — They divide the cake into eight pieces.
“Yo divido el grupo en dos equipos.” — I divide the group into two teams.
“Mi padre divide el número entre cuatro.” — My father divides the number by four.
Dividir in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how dividir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú divides el pastel en ocho partes?” — Do you divide the cake into eight pieces?
Pedro: “Sí, yo divido la cuenta entre todos.” — Yes, I divide the bill among everyone.
Marta: “Nosotros dividimos el número entre cuatro.” — We divide the number by four.
Pedro: “Y ellos dividen el pastel en ocho partes.” — And they divide the cake into eight pieces.
Marta: “Vosotros dividís el grupo en dos equipos.” — You divide the group into two teams.
Pedro: “Sí, y él divide la cuenta entre todos.” — Yes, and he divides the bill among everyone.
A short paragraph
Divide la cuenta entre todos, y nosotros dividimos el número entre cuatro. Yo divido el pastel en ocho partes, y ellos dividen el grupo en dos equipos. Dividir is part of everyday life, because divide is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with dividir
These are the errors learners actually make with dividir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo divide la cuenta entre todos.” Right: “Yo divido la cuenta entre todos.” Why: The person matters: divide is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is divido. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Ayer yo divido el pastel en ocho partes.” Right: “Ayer yo dividí el pastel en ocho partes.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: divido is happening now, while dividí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating dividir and repartir as identical in every context.” Right: “Dividir means to divide, while repartir means to share out.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: dividir fits sentences such as Divido la cuenta entre todos, while repartir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy dividido el pastel en ocho partes.” Right: “Yo he dividido el pastel en ocho partes.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he dividido, has dividido, ha dividido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo dividí el grupo en dos equipos todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo dividía el grupo en dos equipos todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (dividía), not the preterite. The preterite (dividí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: dividir in use
Ten questions on dividir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ la cuenta entre todos.” (You divide the bill among everyone.)
- (a) dividís
- (b) divido
- (c) divides
Answer: dividís — The vosotros/as form of dividir in the present tense is dividís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el pastel en ocho partes.” (They divide the cake into eight pieces.)
- (a) divides
- (b) dividen
- (c) divido
Answer: dividen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of dividir in the present tense is dividen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ la cuenta entre todos.” (Yesterday I divided the bill among everyone.)
- (a) dividiste
- (b) dividió
- (c) dividí
Answer: dividí — In the preterite, the yo form of dividir is dividí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ el pastel en ocho partes.” (Before, he used to divide the cake into eight pieces.)
- (a) dividía
- (b) divido
- (c) dividías
Answer: dividía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of dividir is dividía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ el grupo en dos equipos.” (Tomorrow we will divide the group into two teams.)
- (a) dividirás
- (b) dividiremos
- (c) dividiré
Answer: dividiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of dividir is dividiremos.
6. What does dividir mean in English?
- (a) to divide
- (b) to distribute
- (c) to share out
Answer: to divide — Dividir means “to divide”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo divide la cuenta entre todos.
- (b) Ellos divide el pastel en ocho partes.
- (c) Yo divido la cuenta entre todos.
Answer: Yo divido la cuenta entre todos. — “Yo divido la cuenta entre todos.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I divide the bill among everyone.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre divide el número entre cuatro.
- (b) Divido la cuenta entre todos.
- (c) Dividen la cuenta entre todos.
Answer: Divido la cuenta entre todos. — “Divido la cuenta entre todos.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of dividir in the present tense?
- (a) divido
- (b) divides
- (c) dividimos
Answer: dividimos — The nosotros form is dividimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros dividiremos el grupo en dos equipos.
- (b) Divido la cuenta entre todos.
- (c) Ayer, yo dividí la cuenta entre todos.
Answer: Divido la cuenta entre todos. — “Divido la cuenta entre todos.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I divide the bill among everyone' in Spanish?
Say 'Divido la cuenta entre todos'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Divido la cuenta entre todos todos los días'.
How do you say 'He divides the cake into eight pieces' in Spanish?
Say 'Él divide el pastel en ocho partes'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes divide.
What is the difference between dividir and repartir?
Dividir means to divide, while repartir means to share out. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use dividir when you mean to divide, as in 'Divido la cuenta entre todos', and use repartir for to share out.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of dividir — every tense of dividir in one place.
- Dividir in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on dividir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of dividir until they are automatic.