半ば

なかば
Alternative writings: 中ば
JLPT:N3
Frequency:
1

middle; halfway; midway — the middle position or point in a process or space.

NounNoun (Suffix)

Examples

嵐の半ばで船が難破した。

The ship was wrecked in the middle of the storm.

会議は半ばを過ぎて休憩に入った。

The meeting passed the halfway point and went into a break.

駅までの道の半ばで雨が降ってきた。

It started raining halfway on the way to the station.

2

half (of); one half — referring to 50% or one of two equal parts.

Noun

Examples

彼は仕事の半ばを友人に任せた。

He left half of the work to a friend.

箱の中身の半ばが壊れていた。

Half of the contents of the box were broken.

3

partly; in part — used adverbially to indicate that something is true to some extent.

Adverb

Examples

彼の冗談は半ば本気だった。

His joke was partly serious.

彼女は半ば諦めかけているように見えた。

She seemed half resigned.

4

mostly; almost; nearly — used adverbially to mean almost entirely or to a large extent.

Adverb

Examples

その説明は半ば嘘だった。

That explanation was almost a lie.

彼は半ばあきらめた顔をしていた。

He had a face that was almost resigned.

Word Relationships

Synonyms