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
halbwegs
halfway
Describes the position in the middle of a route or path.
EXAMPLE
Wir waren halbwegs in den Bergen, als das Gewitter anfing.
We were halfway into the mountains when the thunderstorm started.
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
Both words show that something is only partly or not true to the highest degree. Ziemlich usually emphasizes a higher, considerable degree, while halbwegs often means that something is just acceptable or only moderately successful. Use ziemlich for a stronger assessment and halbwegs for a weaker one.
halbwegs
Der Plan ist halbwegs gut.
The plan is somewhat good.
ziemlich
Der Plan ist ziemlich gut.
The plan is pretty good.
In real life
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