dividing

dividing — 動詞

  • dividingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • dividings3rd person singular
  • dividinging-ing form
  • dividingedpast simple

1. to break something up, or to come apart, into smaller sections, pieces, or group

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

分成；拆開

分成幾部分或幾組

to break something up, or to come apart, into smaller sections, pieces, or groups.

例句

The chef divided the sandwich into four small pieces for lunch.

廚師把三明治分成四小塊當午餐。

divide + object + into + number/parts

A low fence divides the vegetable garden from the play area.

一道低矮的柵欄把菜園和遊戲區隔開。

同義詞
  • split

    common everyday word, often for making two or more parts

  • separate

    slightly more general and often less forceful

  • break up

    informal, often used when something comes apart

反義詞
  • join

    to bring parts together

  • unite

    to make separate parts become one group

文法句型

divide + noun + into + parts/groups

divide into + groups

用法筆記

Use this sense for physical splitting or for people and things separating into groups. The transitive pattern names what is being split, while the intransitive pattern often uses into to show the new parts.

常見錯誤

❌Please divide the class to three groups.
✅Please divide the class into three groups.
💡Use 'into' before the groups created by the division.

2. to split money, food, work, or another resource into portions so each person get

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

分給；分配

把份額分給不同的人

to split money, food, work, or another resource into portions so each person gets a part.

例句

The sisters divided the last mango among the three children.

姐妹把最後一顆芒果分給三個孩子。

divide + food + among + group

After the concert, the band divided the ticket money equally.

演唱會後，樂團把門票收入平均分配。

同義詞
  • distribute

    more formal, with focus on handing shares out

  • apportion

    formal, often used for money, blame, or responsibility

  • share out

    British phrasal verb for giving portions to people

反義詞
  • keep

    to keep the whole amount instead of sharing it

  • withhold

    to refuse to give a portion to others

文法句型

divide + noun + among/between + people

用法筆記

The object is something that can be shared out, such as money, food, land, or duties. Use among for three or more recipients and between for two clear sides or people.

常見錯誤

❌She divided the money to her sons.
✅She divided the money among her sons.
💡Use 'among' or 'between' for the people receiving the shares.

3. to act as the line or barrier that separates one place, area, or side from anoth

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

隔開；劃界

成為兩地之間的界線

to act as the line or barrier that separates one place, area, or side from another.

例句

A narrow canal divides the old town from the newer district.

一條狹窄的運河把舊城區和新區隔開。

divide + place + from + place

The white road line divides the two lanes at the bridge.

橋上的白色道路標線把兩條車道劃開。

同義詞
  • separate

    the closest everyday equivalent

  • partition

    more formal and often used for walls or rooms

  • mark off

    stresses showing the boundary clearly

反義詞
  • connect

    to link two areas instead of keeping them apart

文法句型

divide + place + from + place

divide + two areas

用法筆記

The subject is usually a wall, road, river, fence, or line. Distinguish this sense from sense 1: here the thing named is the boundary itself, not the act of breaking something up.

常見錯誤

❌The river divides between the farms.
✅The river divides the two farms.
💡This pattern takes the places directly as the object.

4. to use different parts of your time, money, effort, or attention for different j

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

分配；分用

把資源用在不同用途

to use different parts of your time, money, effort, or attention for different jobs or purposes.

例句

Sana divides each week between the Taipei office and home visits.

Sana 每週把時間分配在台北辦公室和到宅訪視之間。

divide + time + between + activities

The school divided its budget between new books and repair work.

學校把預算分配在新書和修繕工程之間。

同義詞
  • allocate

    formal, common in planning and business contexts

  • apportion

    formal, especially for shares of money or blame

  • spread

    less exact, focusing on distribution over several uses

反義詞
  • concentrate

    to put most or all of something into one area

文法句型

divide + time/money/attention + between/among + purposes

用法筆記

This sense is about planning how resources are used, not giving them away. Common objects are time, money, attention, effort, and energy.

常見錯誤

❌I divide my time for work and study.
✅I divide my time between work and study.
💡Use 'between' or 'among' to name the purposes receiving the time.

5. in the British parliament, to vote by moving into separate groups for and agains

5.動詞不及物C2
釋義

分組表決

議員分兩邊投票

in the British parliament, to vote by moving into separate groups for and against a proposal.

例句

MPs divided after midnight on the bill about rail safety.

議員們在午夜後就鐵路安全法案進行分組表決。

British parliamentary use

The House divided, and ministers waited by the chamber doors.

議院開始分組表決時，部長們在議場門邊等候。

同義詞

文法句型

MPs/the House divide on + motion

用法筆記

Used mainly in British parliamentary reporting. The subject is usually MPs, the House, or another formal legislative body, and the issue being voted on often follows on.

6. to make people stop agreeing with each other and take opposite sides.

6.動詞及物B2
釋義

使分裂

讓人意見不合而對立

to make people stop agreeing with each other and take opposite sides.

例句

The pay dispute divided the factory workers for several months.

這場薪資爭議讓工廠工人分裂了好幾個月。

divide + group of people

The new airport plan divided residents across the whole valley.

新的機場計畫使整個山谷的居民分裂。

同義詞
  • polarise

    stronger, suggesting sharp opposing camps

  • split

    common everyday verb for breaking agreement

  • estrange

    focuses more on making a relationship distant

反義詞
  • unite

    to bring people onto the same side

  • reconcile

    to restore agreement after conflict

文法句型

divide + people/group

divide opinion

用法筆記

This sense is often used with issues, policies, or events as the subject and a community, party, or family as the object. It is common in news writing about politics and public opinion.

常見錯誤

❌The issue divided between the voters.
✅The issue divided the voters.
💡The people affected are the direct object in this pattern.

7. to find how many times one number goes into another by using division.

7.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

除以；做除法

算出能整除幾次

to find how many times one number goes into another by using division.

例句

The students divided eighty-four by seven without using any calculators.

學生們不用任何計算機就把 84 除以 7。

divide + number + by + number

Haruto divided 36 by 4 on the board in class.

Haruto 在課堂上把 36 除以 4 寫在黑板上。

同義詞
  • do division

    plain phrase for the same school-maths action

  • work out

    broader and less exact, used when the operation is clear from context

  • calculate

    broad formal verb that can include division among other operations

文法句型

divide + number + by + number

divide decimals

divide in your head

用法筆記

The number being split comes before by in the usual school-maths pattern. This sense can also be intransitive in general statements, as in 'I can multiply but I still cannot divide quickly.'

常見錯誤

❌Divide 24 into 6.
✅Divide 24 by 6.
💡The number being worked on comes before 'by'; '24 divides into 6' means a different relation.

8. if a smaller number goes evenly into a larger one, the division leaves no remain

8.動詞不及物B2
釋義

整除

剛好除盡而沒有餘數

if a smaller number goes evenly into a larger one, the division leaves no remainder.

例句

The number three divides into twelve exactly four times.

數字 3 可以整除 12，正好是 4 次。

number + divide into + number

Because 5 does not divide into 22 evenly, a remainder is left.

因為 5 不能整除 22，所以會留下餘數。

同義詞

文法句型

number + divide into + number

divide evenly into + number

用法筆記

Here the smaller number is the subject and the larger number follows into. Distinguish this sense from sense 8: sense 8 is the act of calculating, while this sense describes the mathematical relationship between two numbers.

常見錯誤

❌Six divides by twenty-four.
✅Six divides into twenty-four.
💡This intransitive pattern uses 'into', not 'by'.

dividing — 名詞