How to say "partial" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 半はんnoun (prefix), nounCovers 'partial' only where it means 'half' or 'semi-': a halfway state or half of something. For the ordinary sense of 'partial' it is seldom the word you want.
- 不全ふぜんna-adjective, no-adjectiveReally means 'incomplete' or 'imperfect' — something, especially an organ or function, that fails to work fully. It turns up mainly in medical and scientific expressions, so it is seldom the everyday word for 'partial'.
- 部分的ぶぶんてきna-adjectiveThe general word for 'partial' meaning 'limited to or affecting part of a whole' — partial changes, partial agreement and the like. For most senses of 'partial' this is the word you want.
For 'partial' meaning 'limited to part of a whole', use 部分的; 半 covers only the 'half; semi-' sense, and 不全 means incomplete or imperfect, chiefly in medical and scientific expressions.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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