Definition

1. Numeral phrase:
   • Half a dozen: A specific quantity equal to six units. It is a common way to express the number six, often used when counting items that are typically grouped or sold in sets of twelve (a dozen).

Usage Examples

• Numeral phrase:
  • Tôi mua nửa tá trứng. (I bought half a dozen eggs.)
  • Chúng tôi cần khoảng nửa tá bút mới. (We need about half a dozen new pens.)
  • Còn lại nửa tá cái bánh. (There are half a dozen cakes left.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is used literally to mean exactly six. It is less common to use it for approximate amounts, unlike the English "half a dozen," which can sometimes mean "roughly six." For approximations, Vietnamese might use "khoảng sáu" (about six).

Variants and Related Words

• Tá (numeral phrase): dozen, a group of twelve.

  • Một tá bút chì. (A dozen pencils.)

• Một tá rưỡi (numeral phrase): a dozen and a half (eighteen).

  • Một tá rưỡi hoa quả. (A dozen and a half fruits.)

Synonyms

• Sáu (numeral): six. This is the direct numeral, while "nửa tá" is the phrasal equivalent.

Related Idioms

• Nửa tá nửa mười: An idiom meaning approximately or in a rough, incomplete manner. It suggests something is not a full, proper set or amount.
  • Anh ta làm việc nửa tá nửa mười. (He does his work in a haphazard, half-baked way.)

1. dozen; half a dozen