The difference between divide and separate
Today we answer a question from Alex.
今天我們來回答Alex提出的一個問題。
Question:
問題：
Our reader Alex writes, "I want to know about the difference between divide and separate. Thank you!"
我們的讀者Alex寫道，「我想知道divide和separate之間的區別。謝謝！」
Answer:
回答：
Dear Alex,
親愛的Alex，
Thank you for asking such a good question!
感謝你問了這麼好的問題！
The words divide and separate are similar, but also have differences, depending on how each is used.
divide和separate這兩個詞意思相近，但也有不同之處，這要看如何使用它們。
Let us take one word at a time. Divide can be used as a verb or a noun. Merriam Webster's Learner's Dictionary defines the verb divide this way: "to separate (something) into two or more parts or pieces." Did you notice the word "separate" is part of the definition for divide?
我們先來說其中一個詞。divide可以用作動詞也可以用作名詞。《韋氏詞典》對動詞divide的定義是：「將某物分成兩個或更多的部分。」你注意到separate這個詞是divide定義的一部分了嗎？
The verb divide is often followed by the word "into," as you will note in this example:
動詞divide後面通常會跟into，你在這個例子中會注意到：
「The class is divided into four groups.」
「這個班被分成四個小組。」
Now, divide also can be used as a noun. In the United States, it can be an actual, physical line, as in this example:
divide也可以用作名詞。在美國，它可以是一個真實存在的線，例如：
「The Continental Divide in North America is a line of hills or mountains from which rivers empty.」
「北美大陸的分水嶺是一排丘陵或山脈，河流從中流出。」
As a noun, divide can be a line that one cannot see, such as a line between two or more groups of people with different opinions or beliefs. For example, you could use it when talking about a political dispute.
作名詞時，divide也可以是一條看不到的線，比如兩組或兩組以上持有不同觀點或信仰的人之間的界限。例如，你可以在談論政治糾紛時這樣說。
"We must bridge the divide between Democrats and Republicans."
「我們必須結合民主黨和共和黨之間的分歧。」
So how is separate different from divide?
那麼，separate和divide有什麼不同呢？
Here is one difference; you pronounce separate differently depending on how you use it.
這裡有一個區別；separate發音不同，其用法也不同。
When used as a verb, separate is defined this way: to cause (two or more people or things) to stop being together, joined, or connected. Here is an example:
當用作動詞時，separate是這樣定義的：把（兩個或兩個以上的人或事物）分開。下面有一個例子：
"She stepped in to separate the two men who were fighting."
"她過去把兩個正在打架的人拉開了。"
It is pronounced like this: sep-puh-rate.
它的發音是這樣的：sep-puh-rate。
When separate is an adjective, pronounce the last syllable of the word as "ret."
當separate作形容詞時，最後一個音節要發成「ret」。
In the following sentence, separate is used as an adjective:
在下面的句子中，separate用作形容詞：
"The boys and girls have separate rooms."
「男孩們和女孩們都有各自的房間。」
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