Meaning & use
half day at work
Last updated
Meaning
phrasecountable
A working day when you work only half of your usual hours, often because of a holiday or appointment.
Grammar: Countable: take a half day at work, two half days at work.
Patterns
- take a half day at work
- have a half day at work
- a half day at work on Friday
I'm taking a half day at work tomorrow to go to the dentist.
We get a half day at work before the holiday.
She had a half day at work and went shopping in the afternoon.
Common combinations
- take a half day at work
- He took a half day at work to collect his son from school.
- have a half day at work
- We have a half day at work on the last day of the year.
- a half day at work on Friday
- She is planning a half day at work on Friday.
- ask for a half day at work
- I asked for a half day at work next week.
Synonyms and how they differ
- half shift
- Refers to working half of a shift, common in jobs with shifts; 'half day at work' is more general.
Commonly confused: half day at work or day off?
half day at work vs day off
A day off means you do not work at all; a half day at work means you work only half the day.
Practice
What does it mean to take a half day at work?
Choose one answer.
A half day at work means you work about half your usual hours. Taking the whole day off is different, and working longer or starting earlier is not implied.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “half day at work”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.