Meaning and Usage
"절반" means "half" in Korean and is used to indicate one of two equal parts of a whole. It is a noun and often appears in contexts involving division, quantity, or proportion.
Common Contexts
You will frequently see "절반" used when talking about dividing objects, sharing, or describing proportions in statistics or opinions.
Collocations and Patterns
- 절반 이상 (more than half): used to express a majority portion.
- 절반으로 나누다 (to divide into halves): common when splitting something physically or figuratively.
- 절반 정도 (about half): used to estimate roughly half.
Register and Politeness
"절반" is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts without change.
Learner Tips
Be careful not to confuse "절반" with "반" which also means half but is often used in more casual or numeric contexts (like 반 친구 meaning "classmate"). "절반" emphasizes the exact half portion more clearly.