ครึ่ง

Explanation

The core meaning of ครึ่ง is one of two equal parts of a whole. ครึ่งหนึ่ง explicitly means “one half of it,” though ครึ่ง alone is often enough when the whole is clear from context. Word order matters. ครึ่ง before a unit means half of that unit: ครึ่งชั่วโมง is “half an hour.” When ครึ่ง follows a number and unit, it adds another half unit: หนึ่งชั่วโมงครึ่ง is “one and a half hours.” The same pattern appears in clock time, as in เจ็ดโมงครึ่ง, “7:30.” The word is also common in expressions such as ครึ่งแรก “the first half,” ครึ่งหลัง “the second half,” and ครึ่งราคา “half price.”

Usage

It is common when dividing food, measuring time, weight, or distance, and stating times such as “seven thirty.” It is also used for prices, progress, and the first or second half of a game or period. It is an ordinary word used in both conversation and writing.

Caution

Pay attention to word order: ครึ่งชั่วโมง means “half an hour,” while หนึ่งชั่วโมงครึ่ง means “one and a half hours.” Do not use ครึ่งหนึ่งชั่วโมง for the latter. Also, ลูกครึ่ง is common in Thai, but because it refers to a person's ethnic or national background, use it with sensitivity.

1 half synonyms

• กึ่ง

  kʉ̀ŋ semi-

  กึ่ง also means “half” or “semi-,” but it is more often used as a formal or compound-forming element, as in กึ่งกลาง “center” and กึ่งอัตโนมัติ “semiautomatic.” ครึ่ง is the usual everyday choice for measurable halves and quantities.

• ซีก

  sîik half (one of two pieces)

  ซีก emphasizes one side or section of something divided into two, especially a physical object or the body. ครึ่ง is the broader word and also applies to time, prices, and numerical amounts.