As they both come from the Latin verb partire — which meant to divide, share or distribute — the Spanish verb partir and its English cognate have similar meanings. Related meanings can also be found in several verbs that are derived from partir.
The main meanings of partir involve dividing or splitting in some way. Translations can vary with the context:
- Partió la manzana por la mitad. He cut the apple in half.
- Los tres decidieron partir el dinero. The three decided to divide the money.
- Lo que me has dicho me partió el corazón en mil pedazos. What you have told me broke my heart into a thousand pieces.
- ¿Hay trucos para no llorar al partir la cebolla? Are there any tricks to keep from crying when slicing an onion?
Partir can also mean "to leave." The phrase partir de can refer to a figurative starting point:
- Mañana partimos para Madrid. Tomorrow we leave for Madrid.
- Partamos de la base que yo estoy loco. Let's start from the premise that I'm crazy.
- A partir de hoy tu vida puede tomar uno de dos rumbos. Starting with today your life can take one of two routes.
Compartir, the most commonly used verb derived from partir, usually means "to share":
- David y yo lo compartimos todo, incluso las tareas domésticas. David and I share it all, including the housework.
- Comparte ideas nuevas y originales en Internet con otros usuarios. Share new and original ideas on the Internet with other users.
Impartir generally refers to the conveying of information and thus sometimes can have a meaning similar to "to impart":
- Julio Robles imparte la clase de Física 101. Julio Robles teaches the Physics 101 class.
- Los sacerdotes impartieron el conocimiento sagrado a la mujeres. The priests imparted the sacred knowledge to the women.
Although departir can mean to divide something in parts, it most often means "to converse." Except in bad translations from English, it does not mean "to depart":
- Los admiradores de las actrices pudieron departir con cada una de ellas. The fans of the actresses were able to talk with each one of them.
- Los participantes cubanos departen con su embajador. The Cuban participants are talking with their ambassador.
Repartir is used when referring to the distribution of things:
- Repartió las tarjetas rojas a todos los niños. He passed out the red cards to all the children.
- Reparten vacunas gratis para la comunidad. They are giving out free vaccinations for the community.
Comments or questions? See the blog post about partir.
