puolittaa

Puolittaa is a Finnish verb meaning to divide something into two equal parts, i.e., to halve. It can also mean to reduce something by half, such as costs, time, or quantities. The action is transitive and can be used with both concrete objects and abstract measures.

In usage, the present tense forms are: minä puolitan, sinä puolitat, hän puolittaa, me puolitamme, te puolitatte, he puolittavat. The past tense forms include: minä puolitin, hän puolitti, me puolitimme, te puolitte, he puolittivat. The passive form is puolitetaan (present) or puolitettiin (past). The noun forms include puolitus (the act of halving) and puolittaminen (the process of halving). Participles exist as puolittava (halving), puolittanut (having halved), and puolittu (halved).

Etymologically, puolittaa is formed from puoli meaning half, with the causative-like suffix -ittaa, producing a verb that denotes causing something to become half or to reduce it by half. The term is widely used in mathematics, cooking, economics, construction, and everyday language. It can be employed literally—cutting an object in two—or figuratively—halving costs, times, or proportions. For example, “Omena puolitettiin” describes cutting an apple into two equal pieces, while “Kustannukset ovat puolittuneet” or “Hinnat puolitettiin” describe a reduction by half.

See also related expressions such as jakaa kahtia (to split in two) and kaksinkertaistaminen (the opposite concept, to double).