half
half — noun
1. When you separate something into two portions of the same size, each portion is
When you separate something into two portions of the same size, each portion is called a half.
Eli cut the apple into two halves and gave one to his sister.
cut into two halves
More than half of the students in this class come from Taiwan.
more than half of [group]
Add half a teaspoon of salt to the mixture and stir well.
The Watanabe family spent half their income on rent each month.
- whole
the entire thing rather than one part of it
文法句型
half of [noun phrase]
a/the half of [noun phrase]
[number] and a half
常見錯誤
2. A large part of something; used before a noun to emphasise that a major portion
A large part of something; used before a noun to emphasise that a major portion of something is involved.
Half the fun of travelling is discovering new foods along the way.
half the fun / half the [abstract noun]
Half the time I have no idea what my younger brother is talking about.
Owen said half the pleasure of hiking is the quiet moments on the trail.
Half the reason we visit Grandma is to eat her homemade dumplings.
- much of
more neutral and less emphatic
- a large part of
more explicit and formal
文法句型
half the [noun] (meaning a large part of [noun])
用法筆記
Frequently occurs in fixed expressions such as 'half the fun', 'half the point', or 'half the beauty', where it conveys that a large part of something's value or nature lies in a particular aspect.
常見錯誤
3. Thirty minutes after a particular hour, used when telling the time.
Thirty minutes after a particular hour, used when telling the time.
The class starts at half past nine every Tuesday morning.
half past [hour]
Élise said she would meet us outside the cinema at half seven.
half [hour] (British: omitting 'past')
The doctor's appointment is at half past two this afternoon.
We arrived at half past eight, but the show had already started.
- half after
used in American English instead of 'half past'
文法句型
half past [hour]
half [hour] (British informal)
常見錯誤
4. To some degree but not completely; used to show that something is only partially
To some degree but not completely; used to show that something is only partially true or present.
Adina spoke half in anger and half in sadness about what had happened.
half in X, half in Y (paired structure)
Christopher was only half listening while scrolling through his messages.
When Tarik asked if he was serious, he gave a half smile and shrugged.
The children were half asleep by the time the movie ended.
- completely
the full degree, not partial
- fully
entirely, with nothing missing
文法句型
half [adjective]
half in [state A], half in [state B]
用法筆記
Commonly appears in paired expressions like 'half in [emotion A], half in [emotion B]' to describe mixed feelings or partial involvement.
5. An arrangement where two people split a payment and each pays half of the total.
An arrangement where two people split a payment and each pays half of the total.
Sahil and I went halves on the takeaway order since we both wanted noodles.
go halves on [item]
If you buy the train tickets now, I will go halves with you later.
go halves with [person]
Vinícius and his flatmate go halves on the electricity bill every month.
My sister offered to go halves on a birthday gift for our mother.
- split
more general; can mean any division, not necessarily equal
- share the cost
more formal; does not specify equal division
文法句型
go halves (with [person]) (on [item])
用法筆記
Typically used in informal spoken English. The phrase 'go halves' is fixed — 'half' stays plural even though only two people are involved.
常見錯誤
6. A mixture in which two different things are present in equal amounts.
A mixture in which two different things are present in equal amounts.
The drink is made half and half with orange juice and sparkling water.
half and half (equal-mixture phrase)
The audience was half and half — about fifty men and fifty women attended.
Kemi prefers her coffee half and half with hot milk instead of water.
The votes were split half and half between the two candidates.
- fifty-fifty
more informal; often used for probabilities or opinions as well as mixtures
- equal parts
more formal and literal
文法句型
half and half [noun]
[noun] is half and half
常見錯誤
7. a quantity that is only one half of another quantity, used for saying that somet
a quantity that is only one half of another quantity, used for saying that something is much smaller in size, number, or amount than a different thing
The guest room was half the size of the main bedroom and barely fit a single bed.
half the size of — comparing two amounts
Devika earns half as much as her cousin even though she has more experience.
Iris bought a used car for half the price of a brand new model.
Chidi cut the wooden board to half its original length for the shelf project.
文法句型
half + the + noun + of
half + as + adjective + as
用法筆記
Often appears in the patterns 'half the [noun] of [something]' or 'half as [adjective] as [something]'.
8. an additional fifty percent added to a starting figure, bringing the total to on
an additional fifty percent added to a starting figure, bringing the total to one and a half times that figure
The small pizza costs $8, but the large one is half as much again at $12.
half as much again — adding 50% to an amount
Eli's team had twenty members last year, and now they have half as many again.
The train takes one hour, but the bus takes half as long again.
Darius needed half as much again to cover the unexpected repair costs on his house.
文法句型
half + as + much/many + again + as
用法筆記
This structure is more common in British English; American English more frequently uses 'fifty percent more'.
常見錯誤
9. each of the two roughly equal time segments that a game or show is split into, w
each of the two roughly equal time segments that a game or show is split into, with a rest in between
The home team led 2–1 at the end of the first half of the match.
first half / second half — game time divisions
During the second half of the concert, the pianist played two pieces by Chopin.
The coach gave the team an energetic talk during the break between the two halves.
Leo scored his first goal of the season in the first half of the match.
文法句型
the + ordinal + half
first half
second half
10. in team sports such as football, rugby, or hockey, one of the two sections of th
in team sports such as football, rugby, or hockey, one of the two sections of the playing field that belong to a particular team during a game
The goalkeeper rarely leaves his own half of the pitch during a match.
own half — possessive for team territory
Sayaka dribbled past two defenders in the opponent's half and passed to the striker.
Brandon passed the ball back to his own half when the attack broke down.
Lara covered every corner of her half of the court during the tennis match.
文法句型
[possessive] + half
11. in sports such as rugby, hockey, and American football, a team member who plays
in sports such as rugby, hockey, and American football, a team member who plays in the middle zone of the field, linking the defensive and attacking players
The team's half intercepted the ball and quickly passed it to the forwards.
half as short form of 'halfback'
In rugby, a good half makes fast decisions and communicates well with the team.
Mayumi played as a half for the national hockey team for five seasons.
The team's half made a brilliant tackle to stop the opponent's attack.
- halfback
the full term; 'half' is a shortened form used especially in British and Commonwealth sports contexts
用法筆記
'Half' is a shortened form of 'halfback'. The exact role varies by sport: in rugby it refers to the scrum-half or fly-half; in American football, it refers to a running back position.
12. in golf, a result on a single hole where two players end with the same number of
in golf, a result on a single hole where two players end with the same number of strokes, so neither player wins that hole
Both players finished the tenth hole in four strokes, so it was a half.
a half — tied golf score on one hole
Park won on the eighteenth green after the first seventeen holes all ended in halves.
The first three holes all ended in halves, so neither player had a clear lead.
Emily and her opponent recorded a half on the thirteenth hole after three putts each.
13. a glass of beer, cider, or another drink served in a British pub that is half th
a glass of beer, cider, or another drink served in a British pub that is half the size of a full pint, containing about 284 millilitres
The landlord poured Ezra a half of bitter and placed it on the bar.
a half of [drink] — common order phrase in British pubs
Lien ordered a half of lager while waiting for her fish and chips.
At the Queen's Head, Karim always asks for a half because he is driving home.
The barman served Wei's half of cider with a thick, creamy head.
Henry bought a half of shandy and took it out to the beer garden.
- pint
full pint — the standard larger serving size
文法句型
a half of [drink]
a half
用法筆記
Common in British and Irish pubs when ordering beer or cider. A full pint (about 568 ml) is the standard larger serving, and asking for 'a half' is a way to have a smaller amount.
常見錯誤
14. a cheaper ticket for a child to travel on a bus or train, or to enter a cinema,
a cheaper ticket for a child to travel on a bus or train, or to enter a cinema, museum, or similar place
We bought two adult tickets and one half for Mia at the cinema.
'a half' as a noun meaning a child's ticket at ticket counters
Beatriz showed her student card and paid for a half on the bus.
Faisal asked for a half at the museum desk for his younger sister.
The train conductor checked the half that Élise had bought for her son.
Mark saved money by getting a half for each of the children at the zoo.
- child ticket
more formal and clearer term
- adult ticket
full-price ticket for an adult
文法句型
a half
two halves
用法筆記
Frequently used at transport ticket offices, cinemas, and museums in the UK. You usually need to show that the child is below a certain age (e.g. under 16).
常見錯誤
half — adjective
1. describing one of two identical portions that together form a complete item or q
describing one of two identical portions that together form a complete item or quantity
Pedro ate only half an apple and saved the rest for later.
half a/an + noun for one of two equal parts
Mizuki spent half her pocket money on a new book.
The recipe asks for half a cup of sugar and two cups of flour.
Over half the students in the class come from other towns.
2. referring to an amount that is near a half, without being a precise fifty percen
referring to an amount that is near a half, without being a precise fifty percent
Half the guests left before nine o'clock because of the rain.
Reuben spends half his evenings studying for exams.
half + possessive + time period for habitual actions
Jabari guessed that half the audience had never heard that band before.
The bus was half empty when it pulled into the station at noon.
用法筆記
In this sense the speaker is estimating, not giving an exact calculation of fifty percent.
3. done or achieved to a limited degree, not reaching the full or intended standard
done or achieved to a limited degree, not reaching the full or intended standard
The manager said half measures would not solve the company's problems.
collocation: half measures
Saira gave a half smile and looked away without saying anything.
collocation: half smile
The report was only a half attempt at explaining what went wrong.
The committee rejected the idea as a half solution to the housing problem.
- partial
more formal; often used in official or technical writing
- incomplete
focuses on missing parts rather than limited effort
用法筆記
Commonly appears in fixed combinations such as half measure, half truth, half smile, and half-hearted. These describe something only partly done or expressed.
4. reaching or affecting only a single portion of a space, line, or surface
reaching or affecting only a single portion of a space, line, or surface
A half smile crept across Ramón's face when he heard the joke.
The team ran only half the distance before stopping for water.
half + the + distance / way / journey for spatial extent
The moon cast a half circle of light on the bedroom floor.
Emre drew a half circle on the board with a piece of blue chalk.
- full
covering the entire extent or surface
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 divides a whole into two equal portions (half the apple), while sense 4 describes something extending only partway across a span (half the distance, half smile).
half — adverb
1. in a way that divides something into two equal amounts or shares, so that each p
in a way that divides something into two equal amounts or shares, so that each person or part gets the same as the other.
Arjun and Mert split the prize money half and half.
collocation: half and half (in equal shares)
The new car uses half as much fuel as the old van.
pattern: half as much + noun + as
The farmland was divided half into wheat fields and half into pasture.
Otis earns half as much as his sister does at the factory.
- equally
neutral and widely used; 'half' implies exactly 50%, while 'equally' can refer to any fair division
- fifty-fifty
informal, used mainly for sharing costs or outcomes
- in equal measure
more formal; used with abstract nouns such as 'love and respect'
- unequally
not in equal amounts or shares
文法句型
half + as + much/many + as
half and half
用法筆記
Common in comparative structures with 'as' to show a 50% difference in amount or degree. The phrase 'half and half' is a fixed adverbial expression meaning in equal parts.
常見錯誤
2. to some extent but not completely; used before adjectives or past participles to
to some extent but not completely; used before adjectives or past participles to describe a state that is only partly true or only partly achieved.
Tomás was only half awake when his alarm clock rang at six.
collocation: half awake
The old wooden door stood half open in the warm summer breeze.
collocation: half open
Yael had only half finished her homework when the power went out.
The café windows were half covered with red checked curtains.
- completely
fully; the opposite of partial
- fully
to the greatest possible extent
文法句型
half + adjective/past participle
half + verb (limited set)
用法筆記
Most commonly placed directly before adjectives (half asleep, half empty) and past participles (half finished, half closed). Only a limited set of main verbs accept this modifier — 'half know,' 'half believe,' 'half expect' are idiomatic; 'half eat,' 'half run' are not.
常見錯誤
3. to any degree whatsoever — used mainly in negative statements or fixed informal
to any degree whatsoever — used mainly in negative statements or fixed informal expressions to either deny something completely or, in British English, to emphasize a strong positive feeling.
The new Thai restaurant downtown was not half bad, actually.
fixed idiom: not half bad (surprisingly good)
Christopher said he did not half enjoy the concert last weekend.
informal British: 'not half' as strong emphasis
Bao's cooking is not half as good as her mother's famous dishes.
Obi was not half ready for the exam, despite studying all week.
- at all
neutral; used in negatives to add emphasis ('not at all')
- in the least
slightly more formal than 'at all'
文法句型
not half + adjective
not half + verb
用法筆記
Almost always in negative constructions. The fixed phrase 'not half bad' is a British informal idiom meaning 'surprisingly good.' In British slang, 'not half' alone can mean 'very much' ('Do you like it? — Not half!'). Outside these expressions, 'not half' before an adjective simply negates the degree ('not half as tall' = much less tall).