Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mitad | /miˈtad/ | feminine |
| metad (disused) | feminine | |
| meitad (disused) | feminine |
The word mitad is a noun used to describe one of two roughly equal parts into which anything may be divided. You can use related forms like medio as an adjective or adverb to mean 'half' in a descriptive sense, such as when referring to quantities or time. For example, while mitad is the noun for 'the half', medio is used in phrases like 'half a kilo'. Note that medio is also frequently used in mathematical, scientific and time-related contexts.
Which one should you use?
Use mitad when you are referring to the noun 'half', such as 'the half of the cake'. In contrast, use medio when expressing 'half' as an adjective or an adverb, such as in 'half an hour' or 'half full'. The feminine form of the adjective medio is media.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, such as Colombia, the diminutive mitadito is used to convey a small or approximate half.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun mitad is feminine. When you use it to mean 'the half', it almost always requires a definite article such as la.
How do you pronounce it?
/miˈtad/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the phrase media naranja literally means 'half an orange' but is the standard poetic term for a soulmate.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, media refers not only to 'half' but also to a 'sock' or 'stocking', as these garments once covered only half the leg.
- In Spanish, the adjective medio can be used as an intensifier to mean 'somewhat' or 'kind of', such as estoy medio cansado for 'I am kind of tired'.
Examples in context
- Pártelo a la mitad.Cut it in half.This sentence shows how to use mitad when giving an instruction to cut something.Tatoeba #580945 by Shishir, translation #41774 by CK
- Necesito sólo la mitad.I only need half.This sentence demonstrates using mitad to indicate a specific quantity needed.Tatoeba #4099641 by Georgelliot, translation #4102885 by jmcd93
- Tom no sabe ni la mitad.Tom doesn't know the half of it.This sentence uses mitad in an idiomatic expression about knowledge.Tatoeba #1530618 by marcelostockle, translation #1094447 by CK
- La mitad de la pizza es para ti.Half of the pizza is for you.
- Necesito medio litro de leche.I need half a liter of milk.
- La media hora se ha convertido en un estándar.Half an hour has become a standard.
- El sombrero mide medio palmo de ancho.The hat is half a palm wide.
- Quiero medio pollo para llevar, por favor.I want half a chicken to go, please.
- Quiero una mesa que mida medio codo de ancho.I want a table that is half an elbow wide.
- a la mitadIn half
- 103 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are sharing a sandwich.
- DanielTengo hambre, ¿quieres la mitad?I'm hungry, do you want half?
- SofíaSí, Daniel, dame la mitad.Yes, Daniel, give me half.
- DanielAquí tienes tu mitad.Here is your half.
- SofíaGracias, Sofía está feliz ahora.Thanks, Sofía is happy now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “half” translations and entries mitad, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
