It may be time for some half measures as we look into the commonest uses of another two similar-looking Spanish words. Join us as we examine medio and media.
First, here’s how these two words are pronounced:
medio:
media:
Before we look at the noun senses, let’s touch on the adjectival ones. The adjective medio (which has the inflected forms media, medios and medias to agree with the noun it qualifies) usually goes before the noun when it describes either of two equal parts of something that together make up the whole – half (a or an):
medio kilo de azúcar
half a kilo of sugar
La guerra duraría más de medio siglo.
The war would go on for over half a century.
La policía tardó al menos media hora en llegar.
The police took at least half an hour to arrive.
Note that medio (half) can also be used as an adverb to modify an adjective or verb. It doesn’t change its ending when used like this:
Estas chicas están siempre medio dormidas.
These girls are always half asleep.
Una rampa de la autopista permaneció a medio terminar durante aproximadamente 10 años.
One of the motorway ramps remained half finished for about 10 years.
The adjective medio can describe something or someone considered typical, general or representative of their kind – average:
Representa al hombre medio.
He represents the average man.
Se considera un ama de casa media estadounidense.
She considers herself an average American housewife.
Medio can also be used to identify average amounts:
La temperatura media es de 16°C.
The average temperature is 16°C.
La precipitación media anual es de unos 1.200 milímetros.
The average annual rainfall is around 1,200 millimetres.
El 80% de los trabajadores gana por debajo del salario medio (unos 800 euros).
80% of the workers earn less than the average salary (800 euros).
Finally, the adjective medio can be used to describe something or someone that comes neither at the start nor at the finish in space or time but somewhere in between – middle:
Es una enfermedad que afecta principalmente a mujeres en la edad media de la vida.
It’s an illness which mainly affects middle-aged women.
Moving on to the noun senses, el medio (masculine) is the part of something that is equidistant from the sides, ends, outer parts and so on – the middle:
Un candelabro de cristal cuelga en el medio de la sala.
A crystal chandelier hangs in the middle of the room.
Se erigió un obelisco en el medio de la isla.
An obelisk was erected in the middle of the island.
en medio de la pandemia de COVID-19
in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic
Un medio is something that can be used to achieve something – a means:
los medios de transporte utilizados por los viajeros
the means of transport or transportation used by travellers
El estado controla todos los medios de producción.
The state controls all the means of production.
Un medio is also a substance, material or vehicle used to express something – a medium:
Trabajó con diversos medios como la pintura al óleo, la acuarela, el dibujo y el grabado.
She worked with assorted media such as oil paint, watercolour, drawing and engraving.
Utilizan el malayo como medio de enseñanza.
They use Malay as the medium for instruction.
El medio is everything that surrounds a living being and affects its development – the environment:
Lo que se persigue con estas políticas es la protección del medio natural.
The aim of these policies is to protect the natural environment.
Los cetáceos son los mamíferos mejor adaptados al medio acuático.
Cetaceans are the mammals which are best adapted to the aquatic environment.
la conservación del medio ambiente
conservation of the environment
Un medio can also be a particular cultural or social environment – a circle or milieu:
en el medio de las élites políticas y letradas
in the circle or milieu of political and educated elites
Sofía vivió en Heidelberg, frecuentando los medios aristocráticos de la ciudad.
Sofía lived in Heidelberg, frequenting the city’s aristocratic circles or milieux.
Medios in the plural can be very desirable when they relate to the medios económicos that give you purchasing power – means:
Contaban con los medios y recursos para hacerlo.
They had the means and resources to do it.
Lamentamos que nuestros medios no permitan hacer algo más digno.
We regret that our means do not allow something more fitting.
Los medios may refer to los medios de comunicación – the media in English:
Su trabajo ha sido publicado en medios internacionales.
His work has been published in the international media.
Se especializa en periodismo o medios de difusión.
He specializes in journalism or broadcast media.
un video que circula en medios sociales en línea
a video which is circulating on online social media
The feminine noun media has fewer senses than the masculine, but it often turns up in reports and statistics, referring as it does to a number or measurement that may be arrived at by totting up a series of values and dividing the result by the number of them there are – average:
Hay una media de siete horas de sol al día.
There’s an average seven hours of sunlight a day.
Los meses más cálidos, julio y agosto, alcanzan medias de 25,6 y 25,4°C.
The hottest months, July and August, reach averages of 25.6 and 25.4°C.
Medias are items of clothing worn over the feet and part or all of the legs. They may be stockings or else tights (Brit)/pantyhose (US), depending on whether they come up to the thigh or the waist. In Latin America they may refer to something much shorter (the same as calcetines in Spain) – socks:
El nailon se utiliza en la confección de medias y tejidos.
Nylon is used in the manufacture of tights/pantyhose, stockings and textiles.
El liguero o portaligas sirve para sujetar las medias femeninas.
The suspender belt or garter belt is used to hold up women’s stockings.
Además, lucía medias de nylon negras.
She was also wearing black nylon stockings.
Se quitó los zapatos y las medias.
He took off his shoes and socks.
Because of the way medias used always to be made, hacer media has come to mean to knit:
Instruían a las niñas en labores como hacer media.
They would teach little girls how to do tasks like knitting.
DID YOU KNOW?
To talk about a half or two halves of something using a noun, there’s another word you need – mitad (feminine):
Los socialistas perdieron la mitad de sus escaños.
The socialists lost half their seats.
en la segunda mitad del siglo XX
in the second half of the 20th century
Cada espectáculo estuvo dividido a dos mitades.
Each show was split into two halves.
To refer to your other half or your better half, think oranges (or rather half ones), since the expression you need is media naranja:
Según la creencia popular San Antonio trae buena suerte a los solteros y les ayuda a encontrar a su media naranja.
According to popular belief, Saint Antony brings good luck to the unmarried and helps them find their other half.
And time would seem to be of the essence in the following sporting event use:
El primer tiempo terminó con el empate 0-0.
At the end of the first half it was a 0-0 tie.
A los 4 minutos del segundo tiempo Roberto recibió segunda tarjeta amarilla.
Four minutes into the second half, Roberto was given a second yellow card.
QUIZ TIME
Using medio, media etc, can you complete the following?
- Mi hija tiene dos años y …………….
- La prosperidad de la economía impulsó el crecimiento de una considerable clase …………….
- diez episodios de ……………. hora
- La humanidad no puede liberarse de la violencia más que por ……………. de la no violencia.
- Regresa a su casa y encuentra a su madre ……………. muerta.
- Son las tres y ……………. de la tarde.
ANSWERS
- Mi hija tiene dos años y medio. My daughter is two and a half.
- La prosperidad de la economía impulsó el crecimiento de una considerable clase media. Economic prosperity drove the growth of a considerable middle class.
- diez episodios de media hora ten half-hour episodes
- La humanidad no puede liberarse de la violencia más que por medio de la no violencia. Humanity can only free itself from violence by means of non-violence.
- Regresa a su casa y encuentra a su madre medio muerta. He returns home and finds his mother half dead.
- Son las tres y media de la tarde. It’s 3.30 pm or It’s half past three in the afternoon.
To learn about some other similar-looking Spanish words and how to use them, come back next week.
