das Halbjahr
half-year
A period of six months.
EXAMPLE
Im ersten Halbjahr des Jahres ist der Umsatz stark gestiegen.
In the first half of the year, revenue increased sharply.
das Halbjahr
half-year / semester
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Meanings
das Halbjahr
semester
One of two sections of a school or academic year; a semester.
EXAMPLE
Am Ende des Halbjahres bekommen die Schüler ihre Zeugnisse.
At the end of the semester, the students receive their report cards.
Usage tips
Compound word
'Halbjahr' (half-year) is an easy-to-understand compound made up of 'halb' (half) and 'Jahr' (year). So it literally means half a year or six months.
EXAMPLE
Das Projekt soll im nächsten Halbjahr abgeschlossen werden.
The project is supposed to be completed in the next half-year.
Context clue
The context tells you whether a general period of time or a school semester is meant. Words like 'Schule' (school), 'Universität' (university), 'Noten' (grades), or 'Zeugnis' (report card) point to an educational context. Words like 'Umsatz' (revenue), 'Wirtschaft' (economy/business), or 'Bericht' (report) point to a business context.
EXAMPLE
Im zweiten Halbjahr müssen die Schüler eine wichtige Prüfung schreiben.
In the second semester, the students have to take an important exam.
Typical use
The word is very often used in combination with 'erstes' (first) or 'zweites' (second) to refer to the first or second half of a year.
EXAMPLE
Die meisten Buchungen erhalten wir im zweiten Halbjahr.
We receive most bookings in the second half of the year.
Compare with
Halbjahr vs Semester
semester
Both Semester and Halbjahr can refer to a period of an academic year. At a university, Semester is the usual term for the institution’s teaching period, while Halbjahr places more emphasis on the general time period or on one of the two parts of a year. Semester is usually the better choice for courses and lectures.
Halbjahr
Im zweiten Halbjahr des Studienjahres änderte sich mein Stundenplan.
My class schedule changed in the second half of the academic year.
Semester
Im nächsten Semester besuche ich an der Universität drei neue Vorlesungen.
Next semester, I’m taking three new courses at the university.
In real life
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