<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)


---

### 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...  

---

