Tuesday 15 March 2016

Mitad

Today's word is: Mitad
Clase: sustantivo (noun)
Género: femenino (feminine)
Origen: latín (Latin)

In Spanish, “mitad” is a feminine noun of Latin origin which means half*. A typical example of the use of the word “mitad” is:
  • La mitad de los telespectadores (half the TV viewers)


Spanish expressions with the word “mitad” are:
  • A mitad de (half way/ in the mid point)
    • Hicimos un descanso a mitad de camino (we took a rest halfway)
  • Cara mitad (the other half/ the better half)
    • Mi cara mitad (my better half/ other half)
  • Cuarto y mitad (a weight equal to 375 grammes/ grams**)
    • Un cuarto y mitad de queso (375 grammes/ grams of cheese)
  • Mentir por la mitad de la barba (to lie blatantly/ to tell barefaced lies)
    • Mientes por la mitad de la barba (you are telling barefaced lies)
  • Mitad y mitad (half and half/ fifty-fifty)
    • Reapartamos mitad y mitad (let's share/ split/ go fifty-fifty)
  • Partir por la mitad (to divide/ split something in two halves***)
    • Parte la barra de pan por la mitad (cut/ split the baguette in two halves)
  • Plantar a alguien en mitad del arroyo (to throw out/ to kick out/ to sack someone)
    • A Pedro lo plantron en mitad del arroyo (Pedro got the sack/ was kicked out)
  • Poner a alguien en mitad del arroyo (to throw out/ to kick out/ to sack someone)
    • A Pedro lo pusieron en mitad del arroyo (Pedro got the sack/ was kicked out)
  • Reducir a la mitad (to reduce/ cut something to a half)
    • Nos redujeron el sueldo a la mitad (they cut our salary/ wages to a half)



Notes


*When the English word half is not a noun but a describing word/ adjective, its Spanish equivalent is not “mitad” but “medio”/ “media” -see below:




half” (noun)
la mitad
La mitad de una manzana
La mitad de un melón
half” (adjective)
medio/ media
Media manzana
Medio melón


** “Un cuarto” = 250 gr → “la mitad de un cuarto” = 125 gr → “cuarto y mitad” = 250 + 125 = 375 gr


*** Also used sometimes in a figurative sense meaning 'to crush/ break' a person, as in:
  • Me partieron a la mitad (they crushed me)



Love-Spanish.com loves the word "mitad" in the YouTube clip: Mariano Civico - La mitad

For more on the word "mitad", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Mitad

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “mitad”in the link to hear the word pronounced.

Spanish lessons online
Skype/ Google+ Hangout/ Facetime
Great lessons
© Copyright 2016 Love-Spanish.com by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved.

No comments: