Could anyone explain the difference between meia and metade please. How do I recognise which one to use, other than those expressions such as meia- noite? Thanks
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@maureenlister1, good question. Both metade and meio/meia mean half, but the former is a noun and the latter is an adjective. Note that meio can also be used as a noun, but instead of half, it means middle or center, so it’s not interchangeable with metade. Let me clarify with some examples:
Metade (noun)
- Seis é metade de doze. = Six is half of twelve.
- Eu ganho metade do teu salário. = I earn half of your salary.
Meio (noun)
- Estamos no meio da praça. = We’re in the middle of the square.
- A mesa está no meio da sala. = The table is in the middle of the room.
Meio/meia (adjective)
- Eu comi meia sandes. = I ate half a sandwich.
- Passou meia hora. = Half an hour has passed.
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Thank you very much. The mystery is solved!
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