Dividir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb dividir means to divide, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. 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. Like every Spanish verb, dividir changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say divido la cuenta entre todos, and in the preterite you say dividí el grupo en dos equipos. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: dividir
- English: to divide
- Verb type: regular -ir verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: dividiendo
- Past participle: dividido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + dividido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for dividir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Dividir is regular: dividí, dividía, dividiré.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for dividir. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | divido |
| tú | divides |
| él/ella/Ud. | divide |
| nosotros/as | dividimos |
| vosotros/as | dividís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dividen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dividí |
| tú | dividiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | dividió |
| nosotros/as | dividimos |
| vosotros/as | dividisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dividieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dividía |
| tú | dividías |
| él/ella/Ud. | dividía |
| nosotros/as | dividíamos |
| vosotros/as | dividíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dividían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dividiré |
| tú | dividirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | dividirá |
| nosotros/as | dividiremos |
| vosotros/as | dividiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dividirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dividiría |
| tú | dividirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | dividiría |
| nosotros/as | dividiríamos |
| vosotros/as | dividiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dividirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he dividido |
| tú | has dividido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha dividido |
| nosotros/as | hemos dividido |
| vosotros/as | habéis dividido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han dividido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había dividido |
| tú | habías dividido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había dividido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos dividido |
| vosotros/as | habíais dividido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían dividido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré dividido |
| tú | habrás dividido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá dividido |
| nosotros/as | habremos dividido |
| vosotros/as | habréis dividido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán dividido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría dividido |
| tú | habrías dividido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría dividido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos dividido |
| vosotros/as | habríais dividido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían dividido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | divida |
| tú | dividas |
| él/ella/Ud. | divida |
| nosotros/as | dividamos |
| vosotros/as | dividáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dividan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dividiera |
| tú | dividieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | dividiera |
| nosotros/as | dividiéramos |
| vosotros/as | dividierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dividieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | divide |
| él/ella/Ud. | divida |
| nosotros/as | dividamos |
| vosotros/as | dividid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dividan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | dividas |
| él/ella/Ud. | divida |
| nosotros/as | dividamos |
| vosotros/as | dividáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dividan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | dividiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy dividiendo |
| Past participle | dividido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he dividido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Divido la cuenta entre todos. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, dividí el pastel en ocho partes. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, dividía el grupo en dos equipos. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, dividiré el número entre cuatro. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Dividiría la cuenta entre todos si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he dividido el pastel en ocho partes. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había dividido el grupo en dos equipos antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré dividido el número entre cuatro. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría dividido la cuenta entre todos con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él divida el pastel en ocho partes. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él dividiera el grupo en dos equipos, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Divide el número entre cuatro! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dividir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No dividas la cuenta entre todos. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with dividir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Divido la cuenta entre todos. — I divide the bill among everyone.
- Divide el pastel en ocho partes. — He/she divides the cake into eight pieces.
- Ayer, dividí el grupo en dos equipos. — Yesterday, I divided the group into two teams.
- Antes, nosotros dividíamos el número entre cuatro. — Before, we used to divide the number by four.
- Mañana, tú dividirás la cuenta entre todos. — Tomorrow, you will divide the bill among everyone.
- Yo dividiría el pastel en ocho partes si tuviera más tiempo. — I would divide the cake into eight pieces if I had more time.
- Él ha dividido el grupo en dos equipos. — He has divided the group into two teams.
- Espero que él divida el número entre cuatro. — I hope he divides the number by four.
- Yo ya había dividido la cuenta entre todos antes de salir. — I had already divided the bill among everyone before leaving.
- Ellos dividían el pastel en ocho partes cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to divide the cake into eight pieces when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo divide la cuenta entre todos. — Right: Yo divido la cuenta entre todos. — 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. — 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. — 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. — 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. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (dividía), not the preterite. The preterite (dividí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on dividir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la cuenta entre todos. (present tense) A. divido B. divides C. divide D. dividimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el pastel en ocho partes. (preterite) A. dividí B. dividiste C. dividimos D. dividió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el grupo en dos equipos. (imperfect) A. dividías B. divido C. dividíamos D. dividía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el número entre cuatro. (future) A. dividiremos B. dividirás C. dividiré D. dividirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la cuenta entre todos si pudiera. (conditional) A. dividiría B. dividirías C. dividiríamos D. divido
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el pastel en ocho partes. (present subjunctive) A. dividas B. dividamos C. divido D. divida
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el grupo en dos equipos, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. dividiéramos B. divido C. dividiera D. dividieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el número entre cuatro. (present perfect) A. ha dividido B. hemos dividido C. he dividido D. has dividido
Complete the command: ¡___ la cuenta entre todos! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. divide B. divida C. dividamos D. dividid
Which is the gerund of dividir, used with estar for the progressive? A. dividido B. divido C. dividí D. dividiendo
Answer key
- divido — The yo present tense of dividir is divido.
- dividió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of dividir is dividió.
- dividíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of dividir is dividíamos.
- dividirás — The tú future of dividir is dividirás.
- dividiría — The yo conditional of dividir is dividiría.
- divida — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of dividir is divida.
- dividiera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of dividir is dividiera.
- hemos dividido — The nosotros/as present perfect of dividir is hemos dividido.
- divide — The affirmative tú imperative of dividir is divide.
- dividiendo — The gerund of dividir is dividiendo: estoy dividiendo. The participle dividido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does dividir mean in English?
Dividir means to divide. It is used in everyday situations such as Divido la cuenta entre todos. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is dividir regular or irregular?
Dividir is a fully regular -ir verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including divido in the present and dividí in the preterite.
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. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I divide” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo dividí el pastel en ocho partes. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo dividía el grupo en dos equipos. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he dividido el pastel en ocho partes.
How do I practise dividir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the dividir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Dividir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for dividir.
- Dividir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for dividir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Distribuir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with dividir.
- Emitir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with dividir.
- Distinguir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with dividir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.