How to Say "half" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “half” is “medio” — use 'medio' as an adjective before a noun when referring to a quantity that is exactly half of a whole unit, like 'half a kilo' or 'half a liter'..
medio
/me-dyo//ˈme.ðjo/
Examples
Quiero medio kilo de manzanas, por favor.
I want half a kilo of apples, please.
Son las doce y media.
It's half past twelve.
Mi hermano es de la clase media.
My brother is from the middle class.
La sopa está medio fría.
The soup is kind of cold.
It Changes to Match!
When used like this to describe something, 'medio' changes to match the thing it's describing. Use 'media' for feminine things, and add an '-s' for plural things: 'medio vaso' (half a glass), 'media taza' (half a cup), 'medios limones' (half lemons), 'medias páginas' (half pages).
It Never Changes!
When 'medio' means 'kind of' or 'somewhat', it's acting as an adverb. This means it NEVER changes. It's always 'medio', even if you're talking about a woman or multiple things. It describes the state or quality, not the noun itself.
Using 'Medio' Instead of 'Mitad'
Mistake: “Quiero el medio de la pizza.”
Correction: Quiero la mitad de la pizza. Use 'mitad' when you mean 'the half' as a noun (a thing), and 'medio/a' when you're describing something as 'half full' or 'half a pizza'.
Making it Match (When You Shouldn't)
Mistake: “Ella está media loca.”
Correction: Ella está medio loca. Because 'medio' here means 'kind of', it doesn't change. It's describing *how* crazy she is, not describing *her* directly. This is a very common mistake, so watch out for it!
mitad
/mee-TAHD//miˈtad/
Examples
Dame la mitad de tu sándwich, por favor.
Give me half of your sandwich, please.
La película se pone interesante en la segunda mitad.
The movie gets interesting in the second half.
Pagamos el coche a mitades.
We split the cost of the car (we paid for it in halves).
Always Feminine: 'la mitad'
'Mitad' is a 'feminine' word in Spanish, which just means you almost always use 'la' with it. Think of it as a set phrase: 'la mitad' (the half).
Saying 'Half of Something'
To say 'half of' something, you need the little word 'de' after 'la mitad'. For example, 'la mitad de la pizza' (half of the pizza) or 'la mitad del día' (half of the day).
Confusing 'mitad' and 'medio'
Mistake: “Quiero mitad un vaso de agua.”
Correction: Say 'Quiero medio vaso de agua' or 'Quiero la mitad del vaso de agua'. Use 'medio' right before the thing ('medio vaso'). Use 'mitad' to talk about 'the half' of the thing ('la mitad del vaso'). Both are correct, just different ways to say it!
medio
/me-dyo//ˈme.ðjo/
Examples
La sopa está medio fría.
The soup is kind of cold.
Quiero medio kilo de manzanas, por favor.
I want half a kilo of apples, please.
Son las doce y media.
It's half past twelve.
Mi hermano es de la clase media.
My brother is from the middle class.
It Changes to Match!
When used like this to describe something, 'medio' changes to match the thing it's describing. Use 'media' for feminine things, and add an '-s' for plural things: 'medio vaso' (half a glass), 'media taza' (half a cup), 'medios limones' (half lemons), 'medias páginas' (half pages).
It Never Changes!
When 'medio' means 'kind of' or 'somewhat', it's acting as an adverb. This means it NEVER changes. It's always 'medio', even if you're talking about a woman or multiple things. It describes the state or quality, not the noun itself.
Using 'Medio' Instead of 'Mitad'
Mistake: “Quiero el medio de la pizza.”
Correction: Quiero la mitad de la pizza. Use 'mitad' when you mean 'the half' as a noun (a thing), and 'medio/a' when you're describing something as 'half full' or 'half a pizza'.
Making it Match (When You Shouldn't)
Mistake: “Ella está media loca.”
Correction: Ella está medio loca. Because 'medio' here means 'kind of', it doesn't change. It's describing *how* crazy she is, not describing *her* directly. This is a very common mistake, so watch out for it!
tiempo
/tyem-po//ˈtjempo/
Examples
Hoy vamos a estudiar los tiempos verbales del pasado.
Today we are going to study the past verb tenses.
El primer tiempo del partido terminó en empate.
The first half of the match ended in a draw.
El director marcó el tiempo con su batuta.
The conductor marked the time with his baton.
Adjective vs. Noun for 'Half'
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