Definition

1. Verb:

   • To separate: To cause things or people that were together to move or be apart. It often implies a physical or emotional division.
   • To divide: To split something into different parts or groups.

2. Noun (less common, often seen as sự phân ly):

   • Separation: The state or act of being separated, especially a prolonged or permanent one.
   • Division: The process of dividing or being divided.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Họ buộc phải phân ly hai chất lỏng này. (They had to separate these two liquids.)
  • Chiến tranh đã phân ly nhiều gia đình. (The war separated many families.)
• Noun:
  • Sự phân ly giữa hai miền Nam Bắc kéo dài nhiều năm. (The separation between the North and South regions lasted for many years.)
  • Đây là một cuộc phân ly đau lòng. (This is a heartbreaking separation.)

Advanced Usage

• "Phân ly tách biệt": to separate and isolate completely.
  • Công nghệ này có thể phân ly tách biệt các thành phần kim loại. (This technology can completely separate and isolate metal components.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sự phân ly (n): Separation, division. This is the nominalized form.
• Chia ly (v): To part, to leave each other. This is a close synonym with a stronger emotional connotation, often used for people.
  • Họ chia ly ở sân ga. (They parted at the train station.)

Synonyms

• Separate: To cause to move or be apart.
• Divide: To split into parts.
• Part: To leave each other's company (often emotional).
• Split: To break or cause to break into parts.

Related Idioms

• Phân ly âm dương: A poetic and euphemistic idiom meaning "to pass away," referring to the separation of the soul (yang) from the body (yin).
  • Cụ ông ấy đã phân ly âm dương sáng nay. (The old gentleman passed away this morning.)

verb

1. to separate, to divide
   • sự phân ly
     separation, division