Hälfte

Meaning

1. half; fifty percent of something
2. half, share; any of two correlating pieces, whatever the size
3. (informal) middle; the virtual line where two equal halves meet

Gender

♀️ Feminine

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhɛlftə/

Etymology

From Middle Low German helfte, derived from half (“half”). The form entered Early Modern German via Central German. Equivalent to halb (“half”) + -te. The alternation -b- ↔ -ft- has not been levelled, probably because the same alternation occurs also—for different reasons—in native High German words (compare schreiben ↔ Schrift). Cognate with Dutch helft.

Sentences

Die Hälfte unserer Güter wird über den Mittellandkanal transportiert .

Half of our goods are transported via the Mittelland Canal.

Zudem verlor der Verband die Hälfte seines Vermögens durch die Inflation .

In addition, the association lost half of its assets due to inflation.

Dieser hinterließ Adam und Cathy je die Hälfte eines beträchtlichen Vermögens .

He left Adam and Cathy half of a considerable fortune each.