How to Say "Half Day" in Spanish

medio día

/medjo dia/from spelling rules

The Spanish phrase for 'half day' is medio día.

medio día refers to a period of time that lasts for half of a full working day.

What does it mean word for word?

In the phrase medio día, medio functions as an adjective meaning 'half' and día is the noun meaning 'day'.

The two-word phrase medio día refers to a half-day period of time, whereas the single word mediodía refers specifically to noon.

English speakers often confuse medio día (half a day) with mediodía (noon) because they sound nearly identical.

The Spanish word medio was likely chosen specifically to avoid sounding like the vulgar Old Spanish verb mear, which means 'to urinate'.
In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a medio día is not just a work shift but refers to a significant midday break for a large meal and rest.

Tengo medio día libre el viernes.
I have a half day off on Friday.
¿Vas a trabajar medio día o día completo mañana?
Are you working a half day or a full day tomorrow?
Solo trabajaré medio día hoy.
I will only work half a day today.
¿Te queda medio día para terminar el informe?
Do you have half a day left to finish the report?
Necesito medio día libre para hacer trámites.
I need half a day off to do some paperwork.

Alejandro and Sofía are discussing their schedules at the office.

Alejandro

Sofía, ¿puedes cubrir mi puesto medio día?
Sofía, can you cover my spot for half day?
Sofía

Sí, Alejandro, no tengo problema.
Yes, Alejandro, I have no problem.
Alejandro

Gracias, tengo una cita médica.
Thank you, I have a doctor's appointment.
Sofía

De nada, que te vaya bien.
You're welcome, hope it goes well.

Sources

IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries día, medio, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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