Half

hæf

Spanish Translation

mitad

Part of Speech

  • noun
  • adjective
  • adverb

Word Forms

  • halves
  • halved
  • halving

Etymology

From Old English healf, from Proto-Germanic *halbaz.

Del inglés antiguo healf, del protogermánico *halbaz.

Meanings

noun

One of two equal parts into which something is or may be divided.

Una de las dos partes iguales en que se divide o puede dividirse algo.

I ate half the pizza.

Me comí la mitad de la pizza.

Example Sentences

I'll meet you halfway.

Te encontraré a mitad de camino.

He's only half joking.

Solo está bromeando a medias.

This is only half the story.

Esta es solo la mitad de la historia.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Phrases

  • by halves
    a medias
  • go halves
    compartir a medias
  • not half bad
    no está nada mal

Idioms

  • a half-baked idea
    una idea a medio cocer
  • go off at half-cock
    salir a medio gas
  • half the battle
    la mitad del camino
  • caught short (half cocked)
    pillado a contrapié
  • don't do things by halves
    no hagas las cosas a medias

Proverbs

  • Half a loaf is better than none.
    Más vale pan duro que ninguno.
  • A job half done is as good as not done.
    Obra comenzada, medio acabada.
  • Give him an inch, and he'll take a mile.
    Si le das la mano, te coge el brazo.
  • A miss is as good as a mile.
    Más vale un 'casi' que un 'no'.
  • Better to do something half right, than nothing at all.
    Más vale poco que nada.

Usage Notes

The plural of 'half' is 'halves'.

El plural de 'half' es 'halves'.

Notes for Learners

  • Remember that 'half' can be a noun, adjective, or adverb.

    Recuerda que 'half' puede ser un sustantivo, un adjetivo o un adverbio.

  • Practice using 'half' with different units of measurement (e.g., half a cup, half an hour).

    Practica usar 'half' con diferentes unidades de medida (por ejemplo, media taza, media hora).

  • Be aware of the idiom 'half the battle' and what it means.

    Ten en cuenta el modismo 'half the battle' y lo que significa.

Collocations

  • half an hour
    media hora
  • half price
    mitad de precio
  • half the battle
    la mitad de la batalla

Common Mistakes

  • Mispronouncing 'half'. The 'l' is silent.

    Pronunciar mal 'half'. La 'l' es muda.

  • Confusing 'half' with 'halve' (the verb).

    Confundir 'half' con 'halve' (el verbo).

  • Incorrectly using singular/plural forms. Half is singular, halves is plural.

    Usar incorrectamente las formas singular/plural. Half es singular, halves es plural.

Learning Tips

  • Practice using 'half' in different contexts to understand its versatility.

    Practica usar 'half' en diferentes contextos para comprender su versatilidad.

  • Pay attention to the correct pronunciation of 'half' to avoid confusion.

    Presta atención a la pronunciación correcta de 'half' para evitar confusiones.

  • Learn common idioms and phrases containing 'half' to enrich your vocabulary.

    Aprende modismos y frases comunes que contengan 'half' para enriquecer tu vocabulario.