01
halbwegs
somewhat
Expresses that something applies to a certain extent, but not completely; reasonably or fairly.
example
Nach der Reparatur war das Auto wieder halbwegs fahrtüchtig.
After the repair, the car was somewhat roadworthy again.
halbwegs
somewhat / halfway
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
The word is made up of 'halb' (half) and 'Wegs' (an old genitive form of 'Weg' (way/path)). Its literal meaning is therefore 'halfway along the way', from which the figurative meaning 'somewhat' or 'partly' is also derived.
EXAMPLE
Das Projekt ist schon halbwegs fertig.
The project is already somewhat finished.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If it is about a route or path, it refers to the spatial middle. If it is about a quality or state, it means 'somewhat'.
EXAMPLE
Halbwegs zwischen den beiden Städten machten wir eine Pause.
Halfway between the two cities, we took a break.
Sentence position
In the meaning 'somewhat', 'halbwegs' usually stands directly before the adjective, participle, or adverb it describes. It slightly weakens its meaning.
EXAMPLE
Die Wohnung war nach dem Fest wieder halbwegs sauber.
After the party, the apartment was somewhat clean again.
Compare with
halbwegs vs ziemlich
pretty / fairly
'ziemlich' and 'halbwegs' can both express a medium or non-extreme degree. But 'ziemlich' often means: more than a little, quite clearly. 'halbwegs' sounds weaker and more cautious. It often says: not perfect, but enough or acceptable. Learners may confuse the words because both can come before adjectives, for example 'ziemlich gut' and 'halbwegs gut'. 'ziemlich gut' sounds clearly positive; 'halbwegs gut' sounds more like: it is okay, but it is not really very good.
halbwegs
Nach zwei Wochen Übung versteht er den Text halbwegs gut.
After two weeks of practice, he understands the text reasonably well.
ziemlich
Mein Nachbar ist ziemlich geschickt, wenn er etwas repariert.
My neighbor is pretty handy when he repairs something.
In real life
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