<p>三分之一 can only be shortened to 三分一.</p>

<p>The only way to avoid saying 三分一 is using smaller measuring unit. For example: 二十分鐘 instead of 三分一小時; 四分 instead of 三分一尺. </p>

<p>Similarly, 一半 can only be shortened to 半, as in 半小時 (三十分鐘), or 半尺 (六分)</p>

<p>Side note: </p>

<p><em>1/4 hour (a quarter of an hour) can be translated to 一刻鐘 or 一刻 instead of 四分一小時 in Chinese.</em></p>

<p><em>1/4 hour (a quarter of an hour) can be transliterated to 一個骨 in Cantonese; 3/4 hour</em> (three quarters of an hour) = 三個骨</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-11T20:20:31.353Z
2017-05-11T21:29:59.673Z
2017-05-11T21:29:59.673Z
Tang Ho
<p>Some patterns:</p>

<pre><code>      English               Strictly in Mandarin(Cantonese in written)
1/3   one third               三(3)分之一(1)  
1/4   one fourth(quarter)     四(4)分之一(1)
2/5   two fifths              五(5)分之二(2)
</code></pre>

<p>See the pattern? Even in written 三分之一, It's common to write "3分之1". Since in Chinese, the number itself doesn't have the plural form, you can ignore the annoying"-s" or"-es".</p>

<p>In accounting, since 一，二，三...etc. The number itself are easily to be modified, so we might use “壹，贰，叁，肆...”, but that's another sotry.</p>

<p>Advanced patterns when it comes to 1(1/3) cases:</p>

<pre><code>        English                     Strictly in Mandarin(Cantonese in written)
1+2/3   one and two thirds              一(1)又三(3)分之2(1)  
3+1/4   three and one fourth(quarter)   三(3)又四(4)分之一(1)
4+2/5   four and two fifths             四(4)又五(5)分之二(2)   
</code></pre>

<p>Hope it helps.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-13T23:49:13.077Z
2017-05-13T23:49:13.077Z
Kevman
<p>一比三，三分一，三分之一，一除三： all work!! but of course, is there a half word in English for 1/3? No, there isn't. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-22T11:34:04.493Z
Shouldn't 一比三 and 一除三 actually mean a _ratio_ of 1:3, in other words 1/4? Using 一比三 to mean 1/3 (1:2) seems extremely weird to me...
Lionel Rowe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-11T20:27:30.900Z
2017-05-11T20:27:30.900Z
Atmega 328
<p>因為十進制在中國已被使用了很長的時間，故比較少分數字詞；其中只有「半」作為單字詞，於中國古代應用如下。<br>
Because the decimal system has been used for a long time in China, there are fewer fractional words.
半 is the only single word, which was used as follows in ancient China.</p>

<p>1/2 one-half 半、中半<br>
1/3 one-third 少半、小半<br>
2/3 two-thirds 太半、大半<br>
1/4 one-fourth, a quarter 弱半<br>
3/4 three-fourths, three quarters 強半</p>

<p>中國數字分數系統中，稱呼分數時，先稱呼分母，後稱呼分子。<br>
In Chinese fractional system, the denominator is addressed first, and then the numerator.</p>

<p>例如：其亡者三二 (Two-thirds people died)。</p>

<p>Source: <a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E6%96%87%E6%95%B8%E5%AD%97" rel="noreferrer">中文數字</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-16T10:35:36.740Z
2017-05-16T10:35:36.740Z
user16115
<p>So I know that in Mandarin, 1/2 is 二分之一 or 一半. Is there a similar word to 一半 for 1/3? I mean, instead of 三分之一, something like 一——？</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-11T20:20:01.660Z
there is 刻 for quarter hour
user6065
<word-choice>
Is there a word for 1/3?
# Is there a word for 1/3?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-11)

So I know that in Mandarin, 1/2 is 二分之一 or 一半. Is there a similar word to 一半 for 1/3? I mean, instead of 三分之一, something like 一——？

**Tags:** word-choice

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: there is 刻 for quarter hour  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2017-05-16. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

因為十進制在中國已被使用了很長的時間，故比較少分數字詞；其中只有「半」作為單字詞，於中國古代應用如下。  
Because the decimal system has been used for a long time in China, there are fewer fractional words.
半 is the only single word, which was used as follows in ancient China.

1/2 one-half 半、中半  
1/3 one-third 少半、小半  
2/3 two-thirds 太半、大半  
1/4 one-fourth, a quarter 弱半  
3/4 three-fourths, three quarters 強半

中國數字分數系統中，稱呼分數時，先稱呼分母，後稱呼分子。  
In Chinese fractional system, the denominator is addressed first, and then the numerator.

例如：其亡者三二 (Two-thirds people died)。

Source: [中文數字](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E6%96%87%E6%95%B8%E5%AD%97)


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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-05-11. Score: 2

三分之一 can only be shortened to 三分一.

The only way to avoid saying 三分一 is using smaller measuring unit. For example: 二十分鐘 instead of 三分一小時; 四分 instead of 三分一尺.

Similarly, 一半 can only be shortened to 半, as in 半小時 (三十分鐘), or 半尺 (六分)

Side note:

*1/4 hour (a quarter of an hour) can be translated to 一刻鐘 or 一刻 instead of 四分一小時 in Chinese.*

*1/4 hour (a quarter of an hour) can be transliterated to 一個骨 in Cantonese; 3/4 hour* (three quarters of an hour) = 三個骨


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-05-13. Score: 0

Some patterns:
      English               Strictly in Mandarin(Cantonese in written)
1/3   one third               三(3)分之一(1)  
1/4   one fourth(quarter)     四(4)分之一(1)
2/5   two fifths              五(5)分之二(2)

See the pattern? Even in written 三分之一, It's common to write "3分之1". Since in Chinese, the number itself doesn't have the plural form, you can ignore the annoying"-s" or"-es".
In accounting, since 一，二，三...etc. The number itself are easily to be modified, so we might use “壹，贰，叁，肆...”, but that's another sotry.
Advanced patterns when it comes to 1(1/3) cases:
        English                     Strictly in Mandarin(Cantonese in written)
1+2/3   one and two thirds              一(1)又三(3)分之2(1)  
3+1/4   three and one fourth(quarter)   三(3)又四(4)分之一(1)
4+2/5   four and two fifths             四(4)又五(5)分之二(2)   

Hope it helps.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-05-11. Score: -1

一比三，三分一，三分之一，一除三： all work!! but of course, is there a half word in English for 1/3? No, there isn't.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Shouldn't 一比三 and 一除三 actually mean a _ratio_ of 1:3, in other words 1/4? Using 一比三 to mean 1/3 (1:2) seems extremely weird to me...  

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