1The middle point of a place, thing, or process — halfway through.
20世紀半ばに多くの国が独立を果たした。
Many countries achieved independence in the middle of the 20th century.
川の半ばまで泳いで引き返した。
I swam to the middle of the river and turned back.
授業の半ばで急に停電になった。
There was a sudden power outage in the middle of class.
彼は30代半ばで会社を立ち上げた。
He started his company in his mid-thirties.
2One half of a whole amount or proportion.
集まった募金の半ばを被災地に送った。
Half of the donations collected were sent to the disaster-stricken area.
参加者の半ばは初めてこのイベントに来た人だった。
Half of the participants were attending this event for the first time.
収穫の半ばは市場に、残りは自家消費に回した。
Half of the harvest went to market, and the rest was kept for the family's own use.
3Used adverbially to say that something is true to about half the extent, as in 半ば〜 meaning partly.
彼のプロポーズは半ば冗談だったのかもしれない。
His proposal might have been half a joke.
半ば強引に友人をパーティーに誘った。
I more or less forcefully talked my friend into coming to the party.
彼女は半ば呆れたような顔で私を見た。
She looked at me with an expression that was half exasperation.
4Used adverbially to mean almost entirely or practically.
その計画は半ば失敗したと言っていいだろう。
It's fair to say that plan was almost a failure.
彼は半ば意識を失った状態で運ばれた。
He was carried away in a state that was practically unconscious.
長引く不況で、あの店の経営は半ば行き詰まっていた。
With the prolonged recession, that shop's management had all but reached an impasse.