separarse / escindirse
verbCEFR B2
What does “separarse / escindirse” mean in English?
to split, to break away
to split, to break away (separarse de — leave a group, party, or organisation)
Example sentences
El grupo parlamentario decidió separarse del partido principal para defender una agenda política más radical.
The parliamentary group decided to break away from the main party to defend a more radical political agenda.
Después de diez años juntos, decidieron separarse de mutuo acuerdo sin disputas legales.
After ten years together, they decided to separate by mutual agreement without legal disputes.
Los dos países se separaron de forma pacífica en un proceso que duró varios años de negociación.
The two countries separated peacefully in a process that took several years of negotiation.
How to use it
Separarse (de) means 'to separate from', 'to split off', or 'to break away'. Interpersonal: separarse de una pareja (separate from a partner). Institutional/political: el grupo se separó del partido (the group split from the party). Escindirse is the more formal synonym for organisational or political splits. At B2, the figurative and political senses are as important as the personal one. The non-reflexive separar means to separate two things: separar los residuos (sort waste).
Common mistake
Separarse (reflexive) is either personal/relational or institutional. Separar (transitive) = separate objects. In Spanish, divorciarse is more specific than separarse — separarse can mean a trial separation before divorce. Escindirse is only for organisations, not people.