Usage Note
halb in clock times means 'half to the next hour', so halb drei is 2:30, not 3:30 — a frequent trap for English speakers. As an adverb it also means 'partly', as in halb fertig ('half done').
Examples
"Ich hätte gern ein halbes Brot."
Natural Translation
I'd like half a loaf.
Literal Translation
I would-have gladly a half bread.
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