1To divide or split a whole into parts; to separate or classify items or groups.
ケーキを六等分に分けた。
I divided the cake into six equal pieces.
ごみを燃えるごみと燃えないごみに分けて出す。
We separate trash into burnable and non-burnable when putting it out.
クラスをレベル別に三つのグループに分けた。
We divided the class into three groups by level.
2To share or distribute things such as money or goods among people; to deal out.
お土産をみんなで分けた。
We shared out the souvenirs among everyone.
利益を株主に分けることになっている。
The profits are to be distributed to shareholders.
余ったパンをご近所に分けてあげた。
I gave away the leftover bread to my neighbors.
3To distinguish or differentiate between things; to classify by recognizing differences.
事実と憶測をきちんと分けて考えるべきだ。
You should clearly distinguish between facts and speculation.
良い作品と悪い作品を分けるのは難しい。
It's difficult to distinguish good works from bad ones.
公私を分けて行動することが大切だ。
It's important to act while keeping public and private matters separate.
4To break up a fight or mediate between people; to separate conflicting parties or intervene to settle a dispute.
先生が生徒たちのけんかを分けに入った。
The teacher stepped in to break up the students' fight.
通りかかった人が二人を分けて仲裁した。
A passerby separated the two and mediated.
5To call a draw; to end a contest without a winner (used in sports and games).
昨日の試合は1対1で分けた。
Yesterday's game ended in a 1-1 draw.
両チームとも譲らず、勝負を分けることができなかった。
Neither team gave ground, and they couldn't settle the match — it ended in a tie.
6To push one's way through a crowd; to make a path through people or objects.
彼は人混みを分けて前に進んだ。
He pushed his way through the crowd and moved forward.
草を分けながら山道を進んだ。
We made our way along the mountain trail, pushing through the grass.
7To sell or distribute goods (classical/literary usage), sometimes written with the kanji 頒ける.
縁日で手作りの品を頒けた（分けて売った）。
At the festival, handmade goods were sold (distributed).