halftime
Loading your saved state.
halftime break
The break in the middle of a sports game, such as in soccer or handball, that divides the game into two halves.
In der Halbzeit gab der Trainer neue Anweisungen.
During halftime, the coach gave new instructions.
'Halbzeit' is a compound word made up of 'halb' (half) and 'die Zeit' (time). So the meaning is literally 'half time' or the point at which half the time has passed.
Nach der halben Zeit hatten wir erst ein Drittel der Arbeit geschafft.
After half the time, we had only completed a third of the work.
The preposition helps distinguish the meanings in sports. 'In der Halbzeit' means the break between the halves of the game. 'In der ersten/zweiten Halbzeit' describes the period during which play takes place.
In der Halbzeit trinken die Spieler Wasser.
During halftime, the players drink water.
Outside of sports, 'Halbzeit' is often used figuratively for the middle of any period of time. Typical contexts are projects, a trip, or a political term of office.
Zur Halbzeit unseres Projekts haben wir die bisherigen Ergebnisse präsentiert.
At the halfway point of our project, we presented the results so far.
middle / center
'die Mitte' and 'die Halbzeit' can both mean the point at which something has been reached about halfway. But 'die Mitte' is much more general: it can be a place in a room, on a page, or also part of a month. 'die Halbzeit' is used especially in sports for the break in the middle of a game. Outside sports, 'Halbzeit' often figuratively means the moment when half of a period of time, a project, or a term of office is over. The words can be confused because both have to do with 'half' or being 'central'. As a practical rule: for a general central point, 'Mitte' fits; for a game or a clear halfway stage, 'Halbzeit' is better.
Zur Halbzeit führte unsere Mannschaft schon mit zwei Toren.
At halftime, our team was already leading by two goals.
Bitte stell die Vase in die Mitte des Tisches.
Please put the vase in the middle of the table.