dela means "to divide" and "to share." It is a textbook Group 1 verb — dela – delar – delade – delat, every form built by rule. The interesting part is the range of meanings, which English splits across several words: you dela a cake (divide it), dela a room (share it), dela ut leaflets (hand them out), dela med dig of your lunch (share what you have), and dela a post online (share it). One verb, many uses.
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Preteritum (past) | Supine | Imperative | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dela | delar | delade | delat | dela | Group 1 |
This is the regular Group 1 pattern: present -ar (delar), past -ade (delade), supine -at (delat), and the imperative identical to the bare infinitive (dela). No stem changes, no surprises.
Use 1: dela — divide / share
With a direct object, dela means either to split something into parts or to have something jointly with others. Context decides which.
Ska vi dela kakan i fyra bitar?
Shall we divide the cake into four pieces? dela = split up.
Vi delar ett rum på vandrarhemmet.
We're sharing a room at the hostel. dela = have jointly.
De delade på notan.
They split the bill. dela på = share the cost of something.
Jag har delat min plats med en kollega i flera år.
I've shared my desk with a colleague for years. har delat — the perfect.
Use 2: dela ut — hand out, distribute
dela ut means to distribute or hand things out — flyers, mail, prizes, cards in a game.
Läraren delade ut proven till alla elever.
The teacher handed out the tests to all the students. dela ut = distribute.
Kan du dela ut korten? Det är din tur.
Can you deal the cards? It's your turn. dela ut kort = deal cards.
Use 3: dela med sig — share what you have
dela med sig (literally "share with oneself") is the idiom for sharing something of your own with others. The thing shared is introduced by av: dela med sig av maten ("share one's food"). The reflexive part agrees with the subject: jag delar med mig, du delar med dig, hon delar med sig.
Hon delar alltid med sig av sin lunch.
She always shares her lunch. dela med sig av + the thing shared.
Tack för att du delar med dig av dina erfarenheter.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. delar med dig — second person reflexive.
Use 4: dela upp and social-media dela
dela upp means "split up / break down" into parts or groups. And the modern, everyday meaning everyone uses online: dela a post means to "share" it.
Vi delade upp gruppen i två lag.
We split the group into two teams. dela upp = divide into parts.
Glöm inte att gilla och dela inlägget!
Don't forget to like and share the post! dela = the social-media 'share'. (informal)
The related noun is en del ("a part, a portion"), as in en del av problemet ("part of the problem") — and in the plural-ish sense en del människor ("some people").
Common Mistakes
❌ Vi delde kakan. (bare -de)
Incorrect — dela is Group 1, so the past is delade (-ade), not *delde.
✅ Vi delade kakan.
We divided the cake.
❌ Hon delar med sig sin lunch.
Incomplete — the thing shared needs av: dela med sig av maten.
✅ Hon delar med sig av sin lunch.
She shares her lunch.
❌ Jag delar med sig av min mat.
Wrong reflexive — it must agree with the subject: jag delar med mig, not med sig.
✅ Jag delar med mig av min mat.
I share my food.
❌ Läraren delade proven. (missing particle)
Off — to 'hand out' you need the particle ut: dela ut proven. Plain dela would mean 'divide the tests'.
✅ Läraren delade ut proven.
The teacher handed out the tests.
Now practice Swedish
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Start learning Swedish→Related Topics
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