Thread: Половина

Hi everyone,

I'm wondering how to deal with decimals (x.5, in particular).

According to one of my grammar books, половина depends upon the full number:
2.5 m = два с половиной метра
5 1/2 m = пять с половиной метров

What about 22.5 m? двадцать два с половиной метра? (the last part of the full number is 2...so...singular)?

Now, in another grammar book of mine, there's a sentence where they go for the singular form:
...36.5 m = тридцать шесть и пять десятых метра
I get that they were emphasizing the exact way of writing in decimals.

Is it wrong to say тридцать шесть с половиной метров?

Looking forward to your help - Thx in advance.

Originally Posted by Cumulus

Hi everyone,

I'm wondering how to deal with decimals (x.5, in particular).

According to one of my grammar books, половина depends upon the full number:
2.5 m = два с половиной метра
5 1/2 m = пять с половиной метров

What about 22.5 m? двадцать два с половиной метра? (the last part of the full number is 2...so...singular)? right

Now, in another grammar book of mine, there's a sentence where they go for the singular form:
...36.5 m = тридцать шесть и пять десятых метра
I get that they were emphasizing the exact way of writing in decimals.

Is it wrong to say тридцать шесть с половиной метров? right

Looking forward to your help - Thx in advance.

I'll quote the answer I gave in the different thread. As I can see you understand it.

When you use numerals два, три, четыре (and other that end in два, три, четыре) in Nom case the following noun will take Gen case singular not plural.

Тридцать два рассказа (sg) - not рассказов (pl)
Двадцать три кита (sg) - not китов (Pl)
Сто сорок четыре горшка (sg) - not горшков (pl)
Два места (sg) - not мест (pl)

An adjective related to that noun will be plural Genetive

Тридцать два коротких (not короткого) рассказа
Двадцать три больших (not большого) кита
Сто сорок четыре керамических (not керамического) горшка
Два новых (not нового) места

Numerals 5-9 in Nom need the following nouns to be Genetive Plural

Тридцать пять коротких рассказов
Двадцать семь больших китов
Сто сорок шесть керамических горшков
Пять новых мест

When all those numerals are used in other cases but Nom they all need the following nouns to be of the same case

Говорю о тридцати пяти / тридцати двух коротких рассказах
У меня нет двадцати пяти / двадцати двух больших китов
Я заплатит за сорок шесть / сорок три керамических горшка

Those examples you provided can be written as bellow (I think it should help)

Двадцать два метра с половиной
Тридцать шесть метров с половиной

Originally Posted by Hoax

Those examples you provided can be written as bellow (I think it should help)

Двадцать два метра с половиной
Тридцать шесть метров с половиной

Thx. What about 36.5 метра then? The only way of justifying this one is the hint that they might be using the exact decimal form w/ five tenths of something etc.

Can you say both? I for one stick to the половина variant... => 36.5 метров

Yes, both are correct. But if we are measuring the body temperature, for example, then "exact" variant is preferred. Also when pupils proceed to learning fractions, they need to call numbers in "exact" way.

Originally Posted by maxmixiv

Yes, both are correct. But if we are measuring the body temperature, for example, then "exact" variant is preferred. Also when pupils proceed to learning fractions, they need to call numbers in "exact" way.

Aight. Makes sense. Thx guys!