Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Divido la tarea en partes pequeñas para estudiar con calma. - I divide the homework into small parts to study calmly.

Divido can only be yo (I), so yo is not needed.
Yo divido la tarea… is also correct, but it:
- adds emphasis to I (as in: I divide the homework…)
- can sound a bit heavier or more marked if there’s no special reason to stress “I”.

So the most natural everyday version is simply Divido la tarea en partes pequeñas…

What tense is Divido? Does it mean “I divide” or “I’m dividing”?

Divido is the present indicative of dividir.

In Spanish, the simple present covers several English uses:

I divide the homework… (general habit / routine)
I’m dividing the homework… (right now, in context, it can also mean this)

If you really want to stress “right now, at this moment,” you can use the progressive:

Estoy dividiendo la tarea en partes pequeñas… = I’m dividing the homework (right now).

But in many real situations, Divido la tarea… already works fine for “I divide / I’m dividing” depending on context.

Why is it la tarea and not mi tarea or just tarea with no article?

Spanish normally uses an article where English might leave it out.

la tarea = “the homework” or “my homework / the homework I have,” depending on context.
- It often refers to the specific homework that both speaker and listener know about.
mi tarea = my homework, explicitly.
- You’d say this if you really need to specify whose homework.
Divido tarea en partes pequeñas… (without article) sounds unnatural in standard Spanish.

So Divido la tarea… is the normal way to say “I divide (my/the) homework…” when the homework is already known from context.

Why is the preposition en used in en partes pequeñas? Could you use a or por instead?

Here, en is the normal preposition to express dividing something into parts:

dividir algo en partes = to divide something into parts

Using other prepositions would sound wrong or very unnatural:

dividir la tarea a partes pequeñas ❌ (incorrect)
dividir la tarea por partes pequeñas ❌ (incorrect in this sense)

So:

Divido la tarea en partes pequeñas = I divide the homework into small parts.

Why is it partes pequeñas instead of pequeñas partes? Is there a difference?

Both are grammatically correct, but the default, most neutral order is:

partes pequeñas (noun + adjective)

In Spanish, adjectives usually follow the noun and simply describe it:

partes pequeñas = small parts (neutral description)

If you say pequeñas partes, you’re putting the adjective before the noun, which can add a slight nuance:

pequeñas partes can sound a bit more expressive, focusing on the idea of “little parts” as a concept, or stylistic/poetic in some contexts.

In everyday speech, partes pequeñas is what you’d normally say here.

Why is it para estudiar and not para estudio or para estudiar yo?

Spanish uses para + infinitive to express purpose:

para estudiar = in order to study / so I can study

Alternatives:

para estudio ❌ is wrong in this context. A noun (estudio) doesn’t express purpose the way para + infinitive does.
para estudiar yo is technically possible but sounds odd here. You’d only add yo if you really needed to contrast subjects, like:
- Divido la tarea para estudiar yo y explicarles a ellos.
  (I divide the homework so that I study and explain to them.)

So the natural structure for “in order to study” is para estudiar.

What does con calma literally mean, and how does it function in the sentence?

Literally:

con calma = with calm / with calmness

Functionally, it works as an adverbial phrase, describing how you study:

estudiar con calma ≈ “to study calmly / in a relaxed way / without rushing.”

Similar expressions:

tranquilamente = calmly
con tranquilidad = with calmness
sin prisa = without hurry

So para estudiar con calma = to be able to study calmly, without stress.

Does tarea always mean “homework”? How is it used in Latin America?

In Latin America:

la tarea very often means homework (schoolwork to do at home).
It can also mean task / assignment / job to do in a more general sense:
- Tengo una tarea en el trabajo. = I have a task at work.

In Spain, people also say los deberes for school homework, but in Latin America la tarea is more common.

So in this sentence, la tarea is naturally understood as homework unless context says otherwise.

Is dividir a regular verb? How is divido formed?

Yes, dividir is a regular -ir verb.

Present tense (indicative):

yo divido
tú divides
él / ella / usted divide
nosotros dividimos
ustedes / ellos / ellas dividen

So divido is the regular yo form of dividir in the present indicative.

How would this sentence change in the past or future?

Some common options:

Past (completed action, preterite):
Dividí la tarea en partes pequeñas para estudiar con calma.
= I divided the homework into small parts to study calmly.
Past (habitual, imperfect):
Dividía la tarea en partes pequeñas para estudiar con calma.
= I used to divide / I would divide the homework into small parts to study calmly.
Future:
Dividiré la tarea en partes pequeñas para estudiar con calma.
= I will divide the homework into small parts to study calmly.

The structure la tarea en partes pequeñas para estudiar con calma stays the same; only the verb form changes.