What is the difference between "medio", "mitad", "centro" in Spanish?

The English word 'middle' can be tricky to translate into Spanish because its meaning changes depending on the context. Depending on whether you mean the center of a place, a point of division, or a social class, you'll need to choose a different Spanish word.

How to Say "middle" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “middle” is “medio” — use 'medio' when referring to the physical center or middle of a defined space or object, like the middle of a room or a street..

medio🔊B1

Use 'medio' when referring to the physical center or middle of a defined space or object, like the middle of a room or a street.

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mitad🔊A1

Use 'mitad' when you are dividing something into two equal parts, whether physically (like food) or conceptually (like time).

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centro🔊A1

Use 'centro' to refer to the central point or area, often a place of activity or the most important part of a location.

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English → Spanish

medio

/me-dyo//ˈme.ðjo/

NounB1General

Use 'medio' when referring to the physical center or middle of a defined space or object, like the middle of a room or a street.

A bright orange cut perfectly in half, showing the two equal sections, illustrating the concept of 'half'.

Examples

Hay una mesa en el medio de la sala.

There is a table in the middle of the room.

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).

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'.

See full entry for “medio” →

mitad

/mee-TAHD//miˈtad/

NounA1General

Use 'mitad' when you are dividing something into two equal parts, whether physically (like food) or conceptually (like time).

A bright red apple that has been perfectly sliced down the middle, showing two identical halves resting side-by-side on a clean white surface.

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!

See full entry for “mitad” →

centro

/SEN-tro//ˈsen.tɾo/

NounA1General

Use 'centro' to refer to the central point or area, often a place of activity or the most important part of a location.

A perfectly centered red dot placed inside a large blue circle on a plain background.

Examples

Pon el florero en el centro de la mesa.

Put the vase in the center of the table.

La Tierra no es el centro del universo.

The Earth is not the center of the universe.

Hay un punto en el centro exacto del círculo.

There is a dot in the exact center of the circle.

'El centro' vs. 'Al centro'

Use 'en el centro' to say something IS in the center ('El libro está en el centro'). Use 'al centro' to talk about moving something TO the center ('Mueve la silla al centro').

See full entry for “centro” →

medio

/me-dyo//ˈme.ðjo/

AdjectiveA1General

Use 'medio' as an adjective only when referring to a social or economic class, like 'middle class'.

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.

Hay una mesa en el medio de la sala.

There is a table in the middle of the room.

It Changes to Match!

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'.

See full entry for “medio” →

Choosing between 'medio' and 'mitad'

Learners often confuse 'medio' (noun) and 'mitad' when talking about dividing something. Remember, 'mitad' specifically means half of a whole, whereas 'medio' as a noun refers to the middle point or area, not necessarily a division into two.

Related Translations

center→half→average→kind of→means→medium→partly→somewhat→

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