Definition

1. Adjective / Adverb:
   • Halfway: At a point that is neither near the beginning nor near the end of something; at an intermediate stage or position.
   • Half-done / Incomplete: Referring to a state where an action or process is only partially finished and has been left incomplete.

Usage Examples

• Adjective / Adverb:
  • Anh ấy leo lên lưng chừng núi rồi dừng lại. (He climbed halfway up the mountain and then stopped.)
  • Công việc mới làm lưng chừng đã bị gián đoạn. (The work was only half-done when it was interrupted.)
  • Chiếc ly nước đầy lưng chừng. (The glass of water is half full.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe abstract states of being, such as being caught between two situations or feelings.
  • Anh ấy đang ở vị trí lưng chừng trong công ty, không phải quản lý cũng không phải nhân viên. (He holds a mid-level position in the company, neither manager nor staff.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nửa chừng (adj/adv): This is a near-synonym, also meaning halfway or midway, often used interchangeably with "lưng chừng."
  • Bộ phim bị dừng nửa chừng. (The movie was stopped midway.)

Synonyms

• Halfway: Midway in place or time.
• Midway: At a point approximately equidistant from two ends.
• Incomplete: Not finished or total.

Related Idioms

• Bỏ dở lưng chừng: To abandon something halfway through; to leave something incomplete.

  • Đừng bao giờ bỏ dở lưng chừng kế hoạch của mình. (Never abandon your plans halfway.)

• Lưng chừng trời: Poetic expression meaning halfway to the sky; at a great height.

  • Cánh diều bay lưng chừng trời. (The kite flies halfway to the sky.)

1. Half-way,half-done
   • làm lưng chừng một việc gì lại bỏ làm việc khác
     To do another job after going half-way through one (after one is only half-way)
   • Đang xem phim lưng chừng bỏ về
     To go home after siting half-way through a film (after seeing half of a film)