полу-

Alternative forms

• пол- (pol-) (especially in the nominative case)

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *polъ (“half”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˌpolʊ]

Prefix

полу- • (polu-)

1. (highly productive, takes nouns, produces compound nouns) semi-, demi-, half-^[1]

   полукруг ― polukrug ― semicircle

   полумра́к ― polumrák ― semi-darkness, shade, twilight

   полуостров ― poluostrov ― peninsula

   полусон ― poluson ― half asleep, drowse

   полупроводни́к ― poluprovodník ― semiconductor

   полуавтома́т ― poluavtomát ― semi-automatic

2. (highly productive, takes nouns in genitive case, produces compound nouns) semi-, demi-, half- paired with пол- form^[2]

   полкомнаты ― polkomnaty ― half-rooms

   полпроцента ― polprocenta ― half a percent

   полведра ― polvedra ― half a bucket

   полчаса ― polčasa ― half an hour

   пол-очка ― pol-očka ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   пол-Москвы ― pol-Moskvy ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полмира ― polmira ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полбеды ― polbedy ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полсуток ― polsutok ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полдень ― poldenʹ ― midday; noon

   полночь ― polnočʹ ― midnight

   полудня ― poludnja ― midday; noon

   полуночи ― polunoči ― midnight

3. (takes adjective, produces compound adjective) semi-, demi-, half-^[3]

   полушерстяно́й ― polušerstjanój ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полулега́льный ― polulegálʹnyj ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полуосвещённый ― poluosveščónnyj ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полувьющийся ― poluvʹjuščijsja ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

4. (productive, takes verbs, produces compound verbs) incompletely^[4]

   полузакрыть ― poluzakrytʹ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полулежать ― poluležatʹ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полуодеть ― poluodetʹ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полусидеть ― polusidetʹ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полуистлеть ― poluistletʹ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полускрыть ― poluskrytʹ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полусгибается ― polusgibajetsja ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

5. (takes adverb, produces compound adverb) incompletely^[5]

   полулёжа ― poluljóža ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полусидя ― polusidja ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полушутя ― polušutja ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полутемно ― polutemno ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полушутя ― polušutja ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полувсерьез ― poluvserʹjez ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   полунаугад ― polunaugad ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *polъ (“half”).

Prefix

полу- (Latin spelling polu-)

1. semi-, demi-