What is half? How to use in English

Discover the meaning of half in English, its pronunciation, and how to use it correctly in real-life situations. See examples and easy memorization tips.

Definition & pronunciation of half

halfnoun

một nửa, phần chia đôi, nửa giờ, nửa

/hɑːf/

Definition & pronunciation of <strong>half</strong>

Where does the word half come from?

The word "half" originates from Old English "halfe", which is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*halbaz", meaning "comprising half". This Proto-Germanic word is also the source of the Modern German word "halb" and the Dutch word "half". The Proto-Germanic word is thought to have been derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*swele-", which meant "to split" or "to divide". This root is also the source of other English words such as "shell" and "swell". The use of "half" as a noun to refer to one of two equal parts dates back to Old English times. For example, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, written around the 9th century, you can find mentions of "halve" being used to describe one of two equal parts of a land or a town.

Vocabulary summary half

typenoun, plural halves

meaning(a) half, split in half

examplehalf crying, crying, laughing: half crying, half laughing, half crying, half laughing

exampleto be half awake

examplehalf your time

meaninghalf hour, thirty minutes

examplehalf dead

exampleit is not half enough

meaninghalf reward (not quite half)

examplehe is not half bad; he; is not half a bad bad felloow: he is not a bad person at all, he is a good person

examplehe waster half of his time

typeadjective

meaninghalf

examplehalf crying, crying, laughing: half crying, half laughing, half crying, half laughing

exampleto be half awake

examplehalf your time

meaningWell begun is half the job done

examplehalf dead

exampleit is not half enough

Example of vocabulary halfnamespace

meaning

either of two equal parts into which something is or can be divided

  • two and a half kilos (= 2½)
  • One and a half hours are allowed for the exam.
  • An hour and a half is allowed for the exam.
  • in the first half of the 20th century
  • The second half of the book is more exciting.
meaning

either of two periods of time into which a sports game, concert, etc. is divided

  • No goals were scored in the first half.
  • She played well in the second half of the match.
  • He made two superb saves in the first two minutes of the half.
  • We had a few chances to score in both halves.
meaning

one of the defending players in hockey or rugby whose position is between those who play at the front of a team and those who play at the back

meaning

one of the two attacking players in american football whose position is behind the quarterback and next to the full backs

meaning

the position a half back plays at (also called a tailback in american football)

meaning

half a pint (= 0.568 of a litre in the UK and some other countries, and 0.473 of a litre in the US) of beer or a similar drink

  • Two halves of bitter, please.

Synonyms and related words for half

Idioms of vocabulary half

and a half
(informal)bigger, better, more important, etc. than usual
  • That was a game and a half!
do nothing/not do anything by halves
to do whatever you do completely and to the greatest possible degree
  • You're expecting twins? Well, you never did do anything by halves.
go half and half | go halves (with somebody)
to share the cost of something equally with somebody
  • We go halves on all the bills.
the half of it
used in negative sentences to say that a situation is worse or more complicated than somebody thinks
  • ‘It sounds very difficult.’ ‘You don't know the half of it.’
have a good mind to do something | have half a mind to do something
used to say that you think you will do something, although you are not sure
  • I've half a mind to come with you tomorrow.
used to say that you think that what somebody has done is bad and should do something about it, although you probably will not
  • I've a good mind to write and tell your parents about it.
how the other half lives
the way of life of a different social group, especially one much richer than you
    it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other
    (saying)used to say that there is not much real difference between two possible choices
      time and a half
      one and a half times the usual rate of pay
      • We get time and a half on Sundays.
      too clever, etc. by half
      (British English, informal, disapproving)clever, etc. in a way that annoys you or makes you not trust somebody/something

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