Question 1

Why does the verb делится end in -ся here? What does this suffix do?

Accepted Answer

The suffix -ся on делиться turns the active verb делить to divide [something] into a reflexive or middle-voice form. In this context it gives a passive meaning: Курс делится = the course is divided (literally the course divides itself).

Question 2

Why is the preposition на used with делиться? What case should follow на?

Accepted Answer

When делиться means be divided into, it governs на + accusative. You would normally see на уроки (into lessons). However, because we have the quantifier несколько, the noun that follows is in the genitive plural (уроков) – see next question.

Question 3

Why is уроков in the genitive plural? Shouldn’t it be accusative after на?

Accepted Answer

Numerals and quantifiers like несколько, пять, десять always take the genitive case:  
• несколько уроков (not уроки)  
The preposition на still calls for the accusative, but here there’s no visible accusative ending because plural inanimate nouns have identical nominative and accusative forms. The actual case is genitive due to несколько.

Question 4

Where are the English articles a or the? Why does this sentence have none?

Accepted Answer

Russian has no articles like a or the. Definiteness or indefiniteness is understood from context. So Курс делится на несколько уроков can mean either A course is divided into several lessons or The course is divided into several lessons.

Question 5

Could we use other verbs like разделяться or разбиваться instead of делиться? What’s the difference?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Here are some alternatives:  
• Курс разделяется на несколько уроков – very close in meaning, slightly more formal or technical.  
• Курс разбит на несколько уроков – emphasizes the idea of breaking up into parts; often used for syllabi or structures.  
• Курс разделён на несколько уроков – passive short participle; focuses on the result (the course has been divided).  
All these convey that the course is composed of several parts; choose based on nuance and style.

Question 6

Why is the imperfective делится used here instead of a perfective like разделится?

Accepted Answer

The imperfective aspect (делится) describes a general, ongoing, or habitual state: The course is divided into lessons as a standing fact. The perfective разделится would imply a single, completed (or future) action: The course will be divided. To talk about the completed state right now, you’d use the passive participle разделён.

Курс делится на несколько уроков.

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