metà
/meˈta/feminine
The English phrase 'half' is translated into Italian as metà.
The word metà is a noun referring to one of two roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided. You can use the phrase a metà to mean 'halfway' or 'in the middle of' a process or distance. Common expressions include Essere a metà strada (to be halfway there), Fare le cose a metà (to do things halfway), Tagliare a metà (to cut in half) and Essere a metà del guado (to be at the halfway point, literally 'in the middle of the ford').
Meaning: one of two roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use metà when you are referring to the noun 'a half'. In contrast, use the related form mezzo when you need an adjective or an adverb meaning 'half' or 'middle'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun metà is feminine. It does not change its form in the plural. The plural is also metà. Note that when using the related word for 'half' in a phrase like 'half an hour', the form mezza is used in mezza ora because the noun 'ora' is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/meˈta/
Did you know?
- While metà means 'half', the related word mezzo is used to describe a 'means' of transport, such as mezzi di trasporto.
- The word metà shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'midway', both tracing back to the same Latin roots for 'middle'.
- In Italian, the phrase a metà can be used to describe a 'split' bill at a restaurant, often phrased as fare a metà.
Examples in context
- È la tua metà.That's your half.This sentence shows how to identify someone's half.Tatoeba #5590629 by Guybrush88, translation #3723662 by CM
- Me ne dia metà.Give me half of it.This sentence shows how to ask for half of something.Tatoeba #3567861 by Guybrush88, translation #282751 by CK
- Lo tagli a metà.Cut it in half.This sentence demonstrates the expression for cutting something in half.Tatoeba #3612546 by Guybrush88, translation #41774 by CK
- Dividiamo la torta a metà.Let's divide the cake in half.
- Abbiamo coperto metà della distanza.We have covered half of the distance.
- L'evento inizia alla metà di marzo.The event starts in the middle of March.
- 244 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Lorenzo are sharing a pizza in a restaurant.
- MartinaVuoi metà della mia pizza?Do you want half of my pizza?
- LorenzoSì, grazie, ho molta fame.Yes, thank you, I am very hungry.
- MartinaTi lascio l'altra metà.I will leave the other half to you.
- LorenzoSei molto gentile, Martina.You are very kind, Martina.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “half” translations and entries metà, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries metà, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
