medias
/mé-dias/
socks
Medias can mean 'socks', a garment for the feet.
medias(noun)
socks
?garment for feet and ankles
,stockings
?longer garment covering foot and leg
tights
?garment covering waist to feet
,hosiery
?general term for foot/leg coverings
📝 In Action
Perdí una de mis medias favoritas en la lavadora.
A1I lost one of my favorite socks in the washing machine.
Ella siempre usa medias de lana en invierno.
A2She always wears wool stockings (or tights) in winter.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender and Number
Remember that 'medias' is always feminine and plural, even when referring to a single pair. The singular form is 'media'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Regional Differences
While 'medias' can mean socks, 'calcetines' is often preferred for ankle-length socks, especially in Spain and Mexico. 'Medias' often implies longer hosiery or tights.
Medias can describe being 'halfway' or incomplete.
medias(adverbial phrase)
halfway
?physically or figuratively incomplete
,partially
?not fully completed
half-done
?describing a task
📝 In Action
Dejaron la obra a medias cuando se quedaron sin dinero.
B1They left the construction work halfway (or half-finished) when they ran out of money.
Solo escuché la conversación a medias, no entendí todo.
B2I only heard the conversation partially, I didn't understand everything.
💡 Grammar Points
Fixed Phrase
This meaning always requires the preposition 'a' before 'medias'. It functions as an adverb, describing how an action was done (incompletely).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Missing Preposition
Mistake: "Hizo el trabajo medias."
Correction: Hizo el trabajo a medias. (You must include the 'a'.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Meaning of Incompleteness
Use 'a medias' when you want to express that something was done poorly, lazily, or was abandoned before it was finished.
Medias also translates to 'averages', often visualized using the concept of balance.
📝 In Action
Las medias de rendimiento escolar han mejorado este trimestre.
B2The school performance averages have improved this quarter.
Necesitamos calcular las medias para determinar el resultado final.
C1We need to calculate the means (averages) to determine the final result.
💡 Grammar Points
Context is Key
When used in a mathematical or statistical context, 'medias' refers to the average value, deriving from the singular 'media' (the middle point).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: medias
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'medias' to mean 'half-finished'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'medias' always plural?
Yes, 'medias' is the plural form. If you are talking about a single item (a single sock or a single average value), you would use the singular feminine noun 'media'.
How do I know if 'medias' means socks or averages?
Context is everything! If you are talking about clothing, it means socks/hosiery. If you are using it with a number or in a statistical context, it means 'averages' or 'means'.