Halves, Thirds and Percentages

Level 4

erdi (half), heren (third) and laurden (quarter) come after the noun: ordu erdi (half an hour). ehuneko comes before the number: ehuneko hamar (ten percent).

How It Works

The three common fractions.

  • erdi, half: ordu erdi (half an hour), kilo erdi (half a kilo), ordu eta erdi (an hour and a half)
  • heren, third: bi heren (two thirds)
  • laurden, quarter: ordu laurden (a quarter of an hour)

Part of one thing. Either put erdi after the noun or use the genitive: ogi erdia or ogiaren erdia (half the bread). With a number, the unit goes first: hiru ordu-laurden (three quarters of an hour), not "hiru laurden ordu".

Part of a group. Put the group in the plural genitive: ikasleen erdiak (half of the students). The verb follows the article: Ikasleen erdiak etorri dira, but Uraren erdia edan du (He drank half the water).

Other fractions. From five up, add -(r)en to the number: bosten (a fifth), hiru bosten (three fifths), hamarren (a tenth). In everyday speech you can also say hamarretik zazpi (seven out of ten).

Percentages. ehuneko always comes before the number, and %10 is read ehuneko hamar. A change is said with the plain number: Prezioak ehuneko bost igo dira (Prices have gone up five percent). To describe a noun, use -ko: ehuneko hamarreko igoera (a ten percent rise).

For clock time, eta erdiak means half past: see telling the time.

Examples (6)

  1. Ordu erdi barru etorriko naiz.

    I will come in half an hour.

    erdi follows the noun.

  2. Ogiaren erdia jan dut.

    I have eaten half the bread.

  3. Ikasleen erdiak etorri dira.

    Half of the students have come.

    The group is in the plural genitive: ikasleen.

  4. Hiru ordu-laurden itxaron dut.

    I have waited three quarters of an hour.

    The unit comes before laurden.

  5. Prezioak ehuneko bost igo dira.

    Prices have gone up five percent.

  6. Ehuneko ehun ados nago.

    I agree one hundred percent.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting erdi before the noun, as in English.

    Erdi ordu barru etorriko naiz.
    Ordu erdi barru etorriko naiz.

    erdi, heren and laurden follow the noun they divide: ordu erdi, kilo erdi, ordu laurden.

  • Using the bare noun for part of a group.

    Ikasle erdiak etorri dira.
    Ikasleen erdiak etorri dira.

    For half of a group, the group goes in the plural genitive: ikasleen erdiak. ikasle erdiak would mean half-students.

  • Putting ehuneko after the number.

    Prezioak bost ehuneko igo dira.
    Prezioak ehuneko bost igo dira.

    ehuneko always comes first, just as the % sign is read first: ehuneko bost.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Halves, Thirds and PercentagesLevel 4

Learn This First

Fractions and percentages use numbers, with genitives identifying the whole or group being divided.

Words in This Pattern

erdiherenlaurden