unterteilen
divide
Definition & meaning
unterteilen means to divide something into smaller parts, sections, or categories.
It is commonly used when a whole is organized into distinct subdivisions:
- Man kann den Text in drei Abschnitte unterteilen.
“The text can be divided into three sections.” - Das Kapitel ist in mehrere Unterthemen unterteilt.
“The chapter is divided into several subtopics.”
It can also be used reflexively:
- Das Gebiet unterteilt sich in vier Regionen.
“The area is divided into four regions.”
The division is usually systematic or structural, rather than physical destruction.
Grammar & Word origin
- Infinitive: unterteilen
- Verb type: weak (regular) verb
- Auxiliary: haben
- Past participle: unterteilt
- Präteritum: unterteilte
- Present tense: ich unterteile, du unterteilst, er/sie/es unterteilt
- Typical construction: etwas in etwas unterteilen
“to divide something into something”
The word consists of:
- unter- — “under,” or indicating subdivision
- teilen — “to divide,” “to share”
Unlike the separable verb teilen with certain prefixes, unterteilen is generally treated as an inseparable verb in standard usage: unterteilt, not untergeteilt.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- aufteilen — to divide or distribute something, often with emphasis on sharing it among people or portions
- einteilen — to divide into groups, categories, or assignments; often implies organizing or allocating
- gliedern — to structure something into coherent sections, especially texts, presentations, or organizations
- zerlegen — to break something down into individual components; stronger than unterteilen and sometimes implies taking something apart
- segmentieren — to segment something, often in technical, scientific, or marketing contexts
Antonyms
- verbinden — to connect or join separate parts
- vereinigen — to unite several parts into one whole
- zusammenfassen — to combine parts or ideas into a summary or unified whole
- vereinheitlichen — to standardize or make different parts uniform
Common phrases & collocations
- etwas in mehrere Teile unterteilen — to divide something into several parts
- etwas in Abschnitte unterteilen — to divide something into sections
- ein Thema unterteilen — to divide a topic into subtopics
- ein Gebiet unterteilen — to divide an area or region
- in Kategorien unterteilt sein — to be divided into categories
- klar unterteilt — clearly divided or structured
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Examples
Man kann den Text in Kapitel unterteilen.verb
One can divide the text into chapters.
Die Gruppe lässt sich in mehrere Teams unterteilen.verb
The group can be divided into several teams.
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