partieron

Partieron is the third-person plural form of the Spanish verb partir in the preterite tense. It can mean “they departed” in the sense of leaving, or “they split/divided” in a transitive sense, as in cutting or portioning something. The exact meaning depends on the context.

In terms of grammar, partir is a regular -ir verb in the preterite. The full preterite paradigm for partir is: partí, partiste, partió, partimos, partisteis, partieron. Partieron is used to indicate a completed past action, often in narrative or reported speech, describing events that occurred and ended at a specific time.

Usage examples:

- Intransitive: Los barcos partieron al amanecer. (The ships departed at dawn.)

- Transitive: Partieron la torta en tres pedazos. (They cut the cake into three pieces.)

Etymology and related forms:

Partir comes from Latin partire, from pars, part- meaning “part.” This root is shared with many Romance languages, giving rise to cognate verbs in other tongues. The verb also has various related forms and senses, such as partirse (reflexive) in idiomatic expressions like partirse de risa (to burst out laughing) or perceived divisions in a group.

Partir and its forms are common in both written and spoken Spanish across dialects, with partieron routinely used in past-tense narration to convey published or remembered actions.