一、基本含义
Separate:强调将原本在一起的人或物“分开”、“隔离”,常指物理上的分离或情感上的疏远。
Divide:强调“划分”、“分割”,通常指把一个整体分成若干部分,常用于数量、区域、时间等可量化对象。
二、用法对比
- Separate 常用于:
- 人与人之间的分开(如:They decided to separate after years of marriage.)
- 物品的隔离(如:The children were separated by gender.)
- Divide 常用于:
- 数字或资源的分配(如:Divide the cake into six pieces.)
- 地理或政治上的划分(如:The river divides the city into two parts.)
三、典型例句
Separate:
- The twins were raised in separate households.
- Please keep raw meat separate from cooked food.
Divide:
- We divided the work equally among the team members.
- The teacher divided the class into small groups.
四、小结
简单来说:
如果强调“拆开两个已连接的事物”或“隔离”,用 separate;
如果强调“把一个整体分成几部分”,用 divide。