medio
/ˈmedjo/
The English phrase 'half a' is translated into Spanish as medio.
medio is used to express the concept of half a portion or quantity. Note that while it means 'half a', it can also function as an adverb meaning 'halfway' or 'in the middle of', such as in the phrase medio dormido for 'half asleep'.
Which one should you use?
The word medio can mean 'half a', 'half', 'middle' or 'medium'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes depending on the noun it modifies. Use media when modifying a feminine noun, and use medios for multiple masculine halves or portions. For multiple feminine halves or portions, use medias.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmedjo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget to change medio to media to match the gender of the noun it precedes.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word medio likely avoided an Old Spanish form because the ancestor words sounded too much like mear, which means 'to piss'.
- In Spanish, the word for 'stockings' or 'tights' is medias, which literally translates to 'halves'.
- Spanish uses medio as a way to soften an adjective, similar to saying 'kind of' or 'somewhat' in English.
Examples in context
- ¿Quiere usted medio pollo?Would you like half a chicken?This sentence shows how to use medio when asking about a portion of chicken.Tatoeba #2270586 by Shishir, translation #2270585 by _undertoad
- Deme medio kilo de manzanas.Give me half a kilo of apples.This sentence uses medio to specify a quantity of a kilo of apples.Tatoeba #1483271 by marcelostockle, translation #1808048 by pne
- Calienta medio litro de caldo.Heat half a liter of broth.This sentence demonstrates using medio to specify a quantity of a liter of broth.Tatoeba #6819357 by arh, translation #7037825 by Goatstein
- Medio vaso de aguaHalf a glass of water
- Media taza de caféHalf a cup of coffee
- La mitad de un kilo de carneHalf a kilogram of meat
- La mitad de una horaHalf an hour
- Me comí la mitad de la mitad de la pizzaI ate a quarter of the pizza
- Tuve que leer la mitad de la mitad del libro para el examenI had to read half of half of the book for the test
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are preparing a snack in the kitchen.
- Sofía¿Tienes medio coco para la receta?Do you have half a coconut for the recipe?
- JavierNo, pero tengo medio mango.No, but I have half a mango.
- SofíaPerfecto, Javier, eso nos servirá.Perfect, Javier, that will work for us.
- JavierMuy bien, Sofía, lo cortaré ahora.Very well, Sofía, I will cut it now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry medio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries medio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
