How to say "halfway" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 中間ちゅうかんnounThe middle position or zone between two points, sides or extremes — 'halfway' as a static midpoint, including the middle ground between two opinions.
- 中途ちゅうとnounA point partway along a route or the mid-course of an undertaking; typical of stopping, quitting or changing something before it is finished, often in set expressions.
- 半ばなかばnoun, noun (suffix)The middle of a stretch of time or of an event — the middle of a month, a life or a match; 'halfway' as the midpoint of something in progress.
- 中途半端ちゅうとはんぱna-adjective, no-adjectiveThe critical sense: half measures, something left unfinished or lukewarm, neither one thing nor the other. Use it when judging an attitude, effort or result as not seen through properly.
- 途中とちゅうnoun, adverbThe word for being on the way or in the middle of an activity — halfway there, halfway through a meeting, stopping on the way; the usual choice for these senses.途中であきらめるな。↗Don't give up halfway.
Use 途中 for being on the way or partway through, 中途 for the mid-course of a journey or undertaking, 中間 for the midpoint between two things, 「半ば」 for the middle of a period, and 中途半端 for disapproving half measures.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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