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Do you know how to use the words MEIO and MEIA?
The use of these words is a bit complicated because they can have different meanings, and they can be in different parts of speech. Depending on the part of speech, the word MEIO can be variable or invariable. But don’t worry! I will explain all the details to you now.
Let’s start by talking about the word MEIO.
1. When the word MEIO is used as an adverb
it is invariable. In this case, the word MEIO has the same meaning as “a little”.
For example:
– Maria está meio cansada hoje. (Maria is a little tired today.)
– Maria está um pouco cansada hoje. (Maria is a little tired today.)
– Este assunto é meio complicado. (This topic is a little complicated.)
– Este assunto é um pouco complicado. (This topic is a little complicated.)
2. When the word MEIO is used as a fractional numeral (in the sense of a half) or adjective
it is variable. That is, it may vary in gender and number.
Here are some examples:
– Comemos apenas meio sanduíche. (We only ate half a sandwich.)
– Comemos apenas meia pizza. (We only ate half a pizza.)
3. The word MEIO can also be a masculine noun
which has many meanings, it can mean the center of something or place, the form or way of doing something, or the natural environment of a living being.
Let’s see some examples:
– O meio do jacaré é o pântano. (The environment of the alligator is the swamp.)
– Maria colocou o vaso no meio da mesa. (Maria placed the vase in the middle of the table.)
– Existem muitos meios diferentes de estudar português. (There are many different ways of studying Portuguese.)
Now let’s talk about the word MEIA.
1. The word MEIA can be the feminine of the word MEIO when used as a numeral or adjective.
Let’s see some more examples:
– Ana comprou meia dúzia de ovos. (Ana bought half a dozen eggs.)
– João chegou em casa ao meio-dia e meia. (João got home at twelve thirty.)
– Maria mora na casa número 645 (meia, quatro, cinco). [Maria lives at the house number 645 (six, four, five).]
Sometimes, we use the word MEIA in place of the number 6 (six), but not always. We usually make this switch only when we have a sequence of numbers, such as an address or phone number. In other contexts, we don’t use the word MEIA in place of the number 6. For example, if you want to say the age of a child, or how long you’ve been doing something, or the hours, you should use the number 6 (SEIS) not the word MEIA.
But if you want to say half an hour, you can use the word MEIA.
For example:
– Nos vemos às 2:30 (duas e meia). [See you at 2:30].
– Nossa aula começa às 6:30 (seis e meia). [Our class starts at 6:30].
2. The word MEIA can also be a feminine noun that is a piece of clothing that we wear on the feet.
For example:
– Ana sempre dorme com meias no inverno. (Ana always sleeps with socks in winter.)
– Pedro precisa de meias novas. (Pedro needs new socks.)
That’s it, guys! Now you know how to use the words MEIO and MEIA.
Now it’s homework time. Write a comment below using these two words. Write one sentence with the word MEIO and another sentence with the word MEIA to practice.
Até a próxima!
