fendre
/fɑ̃dʁ/
The English verb "split" can be translated into French in several ways, such as fendre, diviser or scinder.
Meaning: divide along a more or less straight line (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| fendre | /fɑ̃dʁ/ |
| diviser | /di.vi.ze/ |
| scinder | /sɛ̃.de/ |
The term refers to the action of dividing something along a more or less straight line.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on what is being split. Use fendre for a physical split often caused by force, such as splitting wood with an axe. Use diviser for abstract concepts, such as dividing a group of people, a task or a number. Use scinder in a more formal or technical sense to describe splitting something into two distinct parts, such as splitting a company or a committee.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of fendre is fendu. The past participle of diviser is divisé. The past participle of scinder is scindé.
How do you pronounce it?
/fɑ̃dʁ/
Did you know?
- The English verb 'to find' shares the same ancient ancestor as the French fendre, both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰeyd- meaning 'to split'.
- In French, the word fendre is often used in the phrase fendre l'air, which literally means 'to split the air' but is used to describe someone moving very quickly.
- In French, the phrase diviser pour régner translates to 'divide and conquer' and is a staple of political and military strategy discussions.
Examples in context
- Nous devons nous diviser.We have to split.Tatoeba #3147108 by sacredceltic, translation #2273773 by CK
- Il utilise une hache pour fendre le bois.He uses an axe to split the wood.This sentence demonstrates the use of fendre for a physical split involving an axe.Tatoeba #9987225 by lbdx, translation #8346021 by Cxom
- Il faut diviser la tâche en parts égales.We need to split the task into equal parts.
- Nous devons séparer les coûts entre les différentes équipes.We have to split the costs among the different teams.
- Nous allons répartir les bénéfices également entre les actionnaires.We will split the profits equally among the shareholders.
- On va partager la facture à la fin du repas.We'll split the bill at the end of the meal.
- Nous nous sommes partagés les tâches pour terminer plus rapidement.We split the tasks among ourselves to finish faster.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are in a workshop with wood.
- ManonTu peux fendre ce morceau de bois ?Can you split this piece of wood?
- GabrielOui, je vais le fendre maintenant.Yes, I am going to split it now.
- ManonFais attention à ne pas le casser.Be careful not to break it.
- GabrielNe t'inquiète pas, Manon, je sais faire.Don't worry, Manon, I know what I'm doing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “split” translations and entries fendre, diviser, scinder, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries diviser, fendre, scinder, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
