Puolikkaat

Puolikkaat is the plural form of the Finnish noun puolikas, meaning a half or a half-portion of a whole. The word is used to describe two or more halves of something that has been divided into equal parts. In everyday language it commonly appears when talking about sharing food or other objects, for example a bakery item cut into two halves or portions that are intended to be split between people.

The term can be used with a wide range of nouns in plural form, such as puolikkaat leivät (two halves of bread), puolikkaat omenat (halved apples), or puolikkaat palat (half portions of a larger piece). It often conveys a practical or casual sense of division rather than a precise mathematical statement. In spoken Finnish, people may speak of cutting something “kaksiksi,” but puolikkaat is a natural noun for referring to the resulting halves.

In a geometric or mathematical context, the related concept is the half of a shape. The semicircle is a common example, often described in Finnish as the puolikas ympyrä or ympyrän puolikas. The word also appears in discussions of fractions and proportions, especially in informal language or instructional settings aimed at illustrating halves and sharing.

Etymologically, puolikkaat is formed from puolikas (half) with the typical plural suffix -at, yielding a noun that denotes multiple halves.