adverbial N1 uncommon casualpolitewritten
中途半端に／な — halfway / incompletely / half-heartedly
中途半端に／な ・ ちゅうとはんぱ
Meaning
- halfway / incomplete / half-hearted — left unfinished or done without full commitment, usually criticized
Key sentence
中途半端な気持ちでは成功しない。
You won't succeed with a half-hearted attitude.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| な-adjective | 中途半端な + N / 中途半端に + V / 中途半端だ | 中途半端に終わる |
When: Almost always negative — criticizes something that is neither fully done nor fully left alone.
Examples
仕事を中途半端なまま放り出した。
He abandoned the work half-finished.
中途半端に手を出すと、かえって危ない。
Getting half-way involved is actually more dangerous.
See 中途半端に／な in real sentences
Jengo shows 中途半端に／な the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.