Apartarlas

Apartarlas is a Spanish verbal phrase formed by the verb apartar, meaning to separate, move aside, or detach, with the direct object pronoun las attached to the infinitive. The phrase refers specifically to feminine plural referents (las), and translates roughly to “to separate them” or “to set them aside.”

Usage and meaning

Apartarlas is used when the action concerns feminine plural objects or people being separated from a group, location, or activity. Examples: “Tienes que apartarlas de la mesa para que no caigan” (You have to separate them from the table so they don’t fall). “Voy a apartarlas para que no se mezclen” (I’m going to set them aside so they don’t mix). It can describe physical movement as well as figurative distancing or exclusion.

Grammatical notes

Apartarlas is non-finite and commonly appears in constructions with auxiliary verbs, such as voy a apartarlas or tengo que apartarlas. The pronoun las agrees with the feminine plural referents. When the referents are masculine or mixed, the corresponding form is apartarlos. The phrase can participate in a range of tenses and moods by attaching to the appropriately conjugated form of apartar while keeping the pronoun las in place or modifying it to los for masculine referents.

Related terms

Related concepts include apartar (to separate), separación (separation), and apartamiento (less common noun form for the act of removing or distancing). The choice between apartarlas and other synonyms such as separarlas depends on nuance and the gender of the referents.