When using "helft", it's important to understand how it behaves grammatically. As a noun, it can be used with a definite article, e.g., "de helft".
It's also commonly used with prepositions like "van" (of) to specify what half is being referred to, e.g., "de helft van de mensen" (half of the people).
Sometimes, "helft" can imply a group without explicitly stating "van de", e.g., "De helft ging naar huis" (Half went home).
Finally, remember it’s always singular, even if referring to a plural concept.
Exemples par niveau
De helft van de appels is rood.
The half of the apples is red.
Ik wil de helft van de taart.
I want the half of the cake.
Zij eet de helft van haar broodje.
She eats the half of her sandwich.
Hij drinkt de helft van het water.
He drinks the half of the water.
De winkel is de helft van de dag open.
The shop is the half of the day open.
Wij hebben de helft van de reis gedaan.
We have the half of the journey done.
Geef mij de helft, alsjeblieft.
Give me the half, please.
De helft van de studenten is hier.
The half of the students is here.
De helft van de studenten heeft de cursus voltooid.
Half of the students have completed the course.
Literally: 'The half of the students...'
Ik heb de taart in twee gelijke helften gesneden.
I cut the cake into two equal halves.
Gebruik 'helften' als meervoud van 'helft'.
Kun je me de helft van de appels geven?
Can you give me half of the apples?
Direct vertaald: 'Can you me the half of the apples give?'
Hij heeft de helft van zijn leven in het buitenland gewoond.
He has lived half of his life abroad.
Zinsopbouw: 'Hij heeft... gewoond' (voltooid tegenwoordige tijd).
De eerste helft van de wedstrijd was erg spannend.
The first half of the match was very exciting.
Gebruik 'de eerste helft' (vrouwelijke vorm).
Ze eet altijd maar de helft van haar maaltijd.
She always eats only half of her meal.
Gebruik 'maar' voor 'only'.
De prijs is de helft lager dan vorig jaar.
The price is half lower than last year.
Letterlijk: 'The price is the half lower...'
Ik ben blij dat de helft van het werk al klaar is.
I am happy that half of the work is already done.
'Klaar zijn' betekent 'to be done/finished'.
De eerste helft van de film was saai, maar de tweede helft maakte alles goed.
The first half of the movie was boring, but the second half made everything good.
Here, 'helft' refers to a portion of time.
Ze verdeelde de taart in twee gelijke helften, zodat iedereen een even groot stuk had.
She divided the cake into two equal halves, so that everyone had an equally large piece.
Used with 'twee gelijke' (two equal) to emphasize the division.
Meer dan de helft van de bevolking stemde voor de nieuwe wet.
More than half of the population voted for the new law.
Preceded by 'meer dan' (more than) to indicate a majority.
Hij heeft de helft van zijn leven in het buitenland gewoond.
He has lived half of his life abroad.
Describes a significant portion of a person's life.
De helft van de studenten heeft de opdracht nog niet ingeleverd.
Half of the students have not yet handed in the assignment.
Refers to a portion of a group of people.
Na de eerste helft van de wedstrijd stond het nog 0-0.
After the first half of the match, it was still 0-0.
Common usage in sports contexts.
Ze dronk maar de helft van haar koffie op; de rest liet ze staan.
She only drank half of her coffee; she left the rest.
Indicates a partial consumption.
De kosten zijn verdeeld: ik betaal de ene helft en jij de andere helft.
The costs are divided: I pay one half and you pay the other half.
Used with 'ene' (one) and 'andere' (other) to distinguish two parts.
Souvent confondu avec
In English, 'half' can function as a noun, adjective, or adverb, which is more versatile than the Dutch equivalents, where specific forms like 'de helft' or 'een half' are used depending on context.
While 'de helft' is a type of 'part,' 'part' (deel) is a more general term in Dutch. 'De helft' specifically implies one of two equal divisions.
Similar to 'part,' 'portion' (portie) is a broader term for a share or amount. 'De helft' is a very specific portion – exactly half.
Expressions idiomatiques
"de helft van de tijd"
half the time
De helft van de tijd vergeet ik mijn sleutels. (Half the time I forget my keys.)
neutral"de betere helft"
the better half (referring to one's spouse/partner)
Ik moet dit even met mijn betere helft bespreken. (I need to discuss this with my better half.)
neutral"de helft is het dubbele"
half is double (used when something is very cheap, meaning even half the price would be a lot)
Vijftig euro? De helft is het dubbele! (Fifty euros? Half of that is double!)
informal"de eerste helft"
the first half (e.g., of a game, year, etc.)
De eerste helft van de wedstrijd was erg spannend. (The first half of the match was very exciting.)
neutral"de tweede helft"
the second half
In de tweede helft van het jaar gaan we op vakantie. (In the second half of the year we are going on vacation.)
neutral"met de helft minder"
with half less
We moeten het doen met de helft minder budget. (We have to manage with half less budget.)
neutral"tot op de helft"
up to halfway
Vul het glas tot op de helft. (Fill the glass up to halfway.)
neutral"de andere helft"
the other half
De ene helft vond het geweldig, de andere helft niet. (One half loved it, the other half didn't.)
neutral"de helft van niks"
half of nothing (meaning very little)
Wat je daarvoor krijgt is de helft van niks. (What you get for that is half of nothing.)
informal"de helft van de waarheid"
half the truth
Hij vertelde slechts de helft van de waarheid. (He only told half the truth.)
neutralFacile à confondre
Many English speakers might expect a direct translation of 'half,' which in Dutch is 'een half' (when used as an adjective) or 'de helft' (when referring to one of two equal parts). The article 'de' is important.
When referring to a half as a portion or a part of something, use 'de helft'. When describing something as half of another quantity (e.g., half an apple), you might use 'een half'.
Ik wil de helft van de taart. (I want half of the pie.)
This can be confusing because 'half' in English can be a noun or an adjective. In Dutch, 'een half' is typically used as an adjective.
'Een half' describes a quantity, like 'half a liter'. 'De helft' refers to one of two equal parts of a whole.
Ik heb een half uur gewacht. (I waited half an hour.)
This is another form of 'half' as an adjective, which can be tricky due to adjective declension in Dutch.
'Een halve' is used when the noun it modifies is a common gender noun (de-word) and is singular. 'Een half' is used for neuter nouns (het-words) or when the adjective is not directly preceding the noun.
Ik eet een halve appel. (I eat half an apple.)
Similar to 'een halve,' this form uses the definite article 'de,' which can be confusing for learners trying to grasp definite articles with adjectives.
This is used when referring to a specific 'half' of a common gender noun. It emphasizes the specific half.
De halve marathon was zwaar. (The half marathon was tough.)
This word incorporates 'half' but has a very specific meaning related to position or journey, which can be mistaken for simply 'half of the way.'
'Halfweg' means 'halfway' or 'midway,' indicating a point in the middle of a journey or process. It's a compound word.
We zijn halfweg de reis. (We are halfway through the journey.)
Famille de mots
Noms
Verbes
Adjectifs
Astuces
helft is feminine
Remember that 'helft' is a feminine noun. This means you'll use 'de' with it: 'de helft'.
Half of something
To say 'half of something', you'll use 'de helft van'. For example, 'de helft van de appel' (half of the apple).
In the first/second half
When talking about time periods, like a game or a year, use 'de eerste helft' (the first half) or 'de tweede helft' (the second half).
More than half
To express 'more than half', say 'meer dan de helft'. For instance, 'meer dan de helft van de mensen' (more than half of the people).
Less than half
Similarly, 'minder dan de helft' means 'less than half'. Example: 'minder dan de helft van de studenten' (less than half of the students).
About half
If you want to say 'about half', use 'ongeveer de helft'. As in, 'ongeveer de helft van de taart' (about half of the cake).
Helft in fractions
You can also see 'helft' used in a more fractional sense. 'Een halve liter' is half a liter, but 'de helft' is the general noun for a half.
Comparing halves
When comparing two halves, you might say 'de ene helft' (one half) and 'de andere helft' (the other half).
Don't confuse with 'half'
Be careful not to confuse 'helft' (the noun, meaning a half) with 'half' (the adjective, meaning half). For example, 'een halve dag' (half a day) versus 'de helft van de dag' (half of the day).
Common fixed expressions
Learn these common expressions: 'de helft van de prijs' (half the price) and 'de helft van de bevolking' (half of the population). These are frequently used.
Teste-toi 18 questions
Welk woord betekent 'half' of 'one of two equal parts'?
'Helft' directly translates to 'half' or 'one of two equal parts'.
Kies de zin waarin 'helft' correct wordt gebruikt:
This sentence correctly uses 'helft' to indicate a portion of the apple.
Wat is het tegenovergestelde van 'de helft'?
If 'helft' means half, then 'het geheel' (the whole) is its opposite.
Als je een pizza in twee gelijke stukken snijdt, is elk stuk de 'helft'.
Yes, 'helft' refers to one of two equal parts.
'Helft' kan zowel voor dingen als voor mensen gebruikt worden, bijvoorbeeld 'de helft van de studenten'.
Indeed, 'helft' can refer to a portion of a group of people.
Het woord 'helft' wordt alleen gebruikt voor vloeistoffen.
'Helft' can be used for many different types of objects and quantities, not just liquids.
You are sharing a pizza with a friend. Write a short sentence in Dutch explaining that your friend gets half of the pizza.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Mijn vriend krijgt de helft van de pizza.
Imagine you have a cake and you've eaten half of it. Write a Dutch sentence saying that half of the cake is gone.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
De helft van de taart is op.
You are talking about the price of a product, and it's currently half price. Write a Dutch sentence to say it's half price.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Het is de helft van de prijs.
Wie krijgt de helft van de appels?
Read this passage:
Mijn broer en ik verdelen de appels. Hij krijgt de helft en ik krijg de helft. Zo is het eerlijk.
Wie krijgt de helft van de appels?
The passage says 'Hij krijgt de helft en ik krijg de helft,' meaning 'He gets half and I get half.'
The passage says 'Hij krijgt de helft en ik krijg de helft,' meaning 'He gets half and I get half.'
Wat is er al verkocht?
Read this passage:
De bakker verkoopt brood. Vandaag is de helft van de broden al verkocht. Er zijn nog veel klanten.
Wat is er al verkocht?
The passage states 'Vandaag is de helft van de broden al verkocht,' meaning 'Today half of the breads are already sold.'
The passage states 'Vandaag is de helft van de broden al verkocht,' meaning 'Today half of the breads are already sold.'
Wanneer neemt de persoon een pauze?
Read this passage:
Mijn werkdag duurt acht uur. Na de eerste helft van de dag neem ik een pauze. Dan werk ik de andere helft.
Wanneer neemt de persoon een pauze?
The passage says 'Na de eerste helft van de dag neem ik een pauze.' Since the workday is eight hours, the first half is four hours.
The passage says 'Na de eerste helft van de dag neem ik een pauze.' Since the workday is eight hours, the first half is four hours.
De ene ___ van het tweelingbroer was de andere. (One ___ of the twin brother was the other.)
In this context, 'helft' (half) is the most appropriate word to describe one of two equal parts of something, like twin brothers.
De ___ van de bevolking woont in de steden. (___ of the population lives in the cities.)
'Helft' (half) is used to indicate approximately 50% of a group, which fits the context of a portion of the population.
Zij sneed de appel in twee gelijke ___. (She cut the apple into two equal ___.)
When something is divided into two equal parts, those parts are called 'helften' (halves).
De presentatie is al voor de ___ geweest, dus we zijn op de goede weg. (The presentation is already for the ___ been, so we are on the right track.)
The phrase 'voor de helft zijn' means to be halfway through or have completed half of something, indicating good progress.
Hij heeft de ___ van zijn leven in het buitenland gewoond. (He has lived ___ of his life abroad.)
'De helft van zijn leven' (half of his life) accurately conveys that he spent a significant, equal portion of his life abroad.
Kun je mij de andere ___ van de boterham geven? (Can you give me the other ___ of the sandwich?)
A sandwich is often divided into two equal 'helften' (halves), making it the correct term here.
/ 18 correct
Perfect score!
helft is feminine
Remember that 'helft' is a feminine noun. This means you'll use 'de' with it: 'de helft'.
Half of something
To say 'half of something', you'll use 'de helft van'. For example, 'de helft van de appel' (half of the apple).
In the first/second half
When talking about time periods, like a game or a year, use 'de eerste helft' (the first half) or 'de tweede helft' (the second half).
More than half
To express 'more than half', say 'meer dan de helft'. For instance, 'meer dan de helft van de mensen' (more than half of the people).
Contenu associé
Plus de mots sur general
aanbevelen
B1To suggest something as a good choice.
aandacht
B1Focus or notice directed towards someone or something.
aandachtig
B1Paying close attention
aandrang
B1Urgent pressure or request.
aandringend
B1Persistent and urgent.
aanduiden
B1To be a sign of or to indicate.
aanduiding
B1A sign or mark indicating something.
aaneensluiten
B2To join or connect together.
aangeven
B1To point out or indicate.
aangezien
B2Given that or because
