separar
verbo transitivo
1 (apartar) to separate
la maestra nos separó para que no habláramos the teacher split us up o separated us so that we wouldn't talk; si no los llegan a separar se matan if no one had pulled them apart o separated them, they would have killed each other
separe la última sección del formulario detach the bottom of the form; separar algn/algo de algn/algo to separate sb/sth from sb/sth
al nacer los separaron de sus padres they were taken (away) o separated from their parents at birth
los separaron del resto de los pasajeros they were split up o separated from the rest of the passengers; separa el sofá de la pared move the sofa away from the wall; separe la cazuela de la lumbre take the pot off the heat
separar el grano de la paja to separate the wheat from the chaff
2 (distanciar)
nada conseguirá separarnos nothing can come between us; éramos buenos amigos, pero la política nos separó we were good friends but politics came between us; el trabajo la mantiene separada de su familia work keeps her away from her family; hasta que la muerte nos separe till death us do part
3 (existir entre)
la distancia que separa Nueva York de Roma the distance between New York and Rome
el abismo que separa a los ricos de los pobres the gulf between o separating (the) rich and (the) poor
4 (deslindar)
los Pirineos separan España de Francia the Pyrenees separate Spain from France
unas barreras de protección separaban el escenario de la plaza there were crash barriers separating the stage from the rest of the square
la frontera que separa realidad y ficción the dividing line between reality and fiction; the line that separates reality from o and fiction
verbo pronominal
separarse1 (en el espacio) to part
caminaron hasta la plaza, donde se separaron they walked as far as the square, where they went their separate ways o where they parted
al llegar a la juventud sus destinos parecen separarse when they became teenagers they seemed to go their separate ways; separarse de algn/algo: no se separa de él ni un solo instante she never leaves him o leaves his side for a moment; no debí separarme de las maletas I shouldn't have left the suitcases unattended
no se separan ni un momento del televisor they sit there glued to the television; they never take their eyes off the television
consiguió separarse del pelotón he managed to leave the pack behind; no se separen del grupo hasta que estemos dentro de la catedral stay with the group until we are in the cathedral
no quiere separarse de sus libros he doesn't want to part with his books
se separó de la vida pública she withdrew o retired from public life
2 (en una relación) [+cónyuges] to separate; split up; [+socios, pareja] to split up
sus padres se han separado his parents have separated o split up
¿en qué año se separaron los Beatles? what year did the Beatles break up o split up?; separarse de [+cónyuge] to separate from; split up with; [+socio, pareja] to split up with; se separó de su marido she separated from o split up with her husband
se ha separado de todos sus amigos he has cut himself off from all his friends
piensa separarse de la empresa he is thinking of leaving the company
