Translation guide
The act of dividing something into two equal parts, or reducing something by half.
The most common and versatile way to say 'to halve' or 'to divide in half'. Used for physical objects, quantities, and abstract things.
Please halve the cake.
Let's split the profits in half.
Literally 'to divide into two equal parts'. More formal and precise than 半分にする. Often used in mathematical or technical contexts.
Find the point that bisects the line segment.
Specifically means to split costs or expenses equally between two parties. Common in financial or business contexts.
Let's split the travel expenses equally.
To decrease something to half of its original amount, size, or intensity.
Means 'to reduce by half'. Used for quantities, rates, time, etc. Often used in formal or written contexts.
It's a plan to halve production costs.
My commuting time was cut in half.
A more casual, everyday way to say 'reduce by half'. Literally 'reduce to half'.
Intransitive: 'to become half'. Used when something is halved naturally or without specifying the agent.
This medicine halved the pain. (lit. The pain became half.)
半分にする is the general term for dividing something into two equal parts or reducing to half. 半減する specifically means reducing by half and is more formal. Use 半分にする for everyday situations and physical division; use 半減する for abstract reductions like costs, time, or rates.
You should halve the amount of sugar.