Meaning of 半
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- half
- semi-
- incomplete
- (after a number) and a half
How to use 半
半 can stand before a measure word or noun to mean "half," as in 半年 (bàn nián) half a year, or after a number plus measure word to mean "and a half." Example: 我等了一个半小时。(Wǒ děng le yí ge bàn xiǎoshí.) I waited an hour and a half.
Picture the long vertical stroke in 半 (bàn) cutting straight down through the middle of the shape, splitting it into two equal halves. One line down the center means "half."
Common mistake: Learners often put 半 in the wrong place for "and a half." Say 一个半小时 (yí ge bàn xiǎoshí), not 一个小时半, because 半 goes right after the measure word. Also keep the tone a falling fourth tone, bàn, not bān.
半 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
半 bàn · half · 5 strokes
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- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 半.
| 一半 | yībàn | half |
| 半年 | bàn nián | half a year |
| 半天 | bàntiān | half of the day; a long time |
| 半夜 | bànyè | midnight; in the middle of the night |
| 多半 | duōbàn | most; mostly |
| 半决赛 | bànjuésài | semifinals |
| 半数 | bànshù | half the number; half |
| 半岛 | bàndǎo | peninsula |
| 半路 | bànlù | halfway; midway |
| 半途而废 | bàntú'érfèi | to give up halfway (idiom); leave sth unfinished |
| 半场 | bànchǎng | half of a game or contest; half-court |
| 过半 | guòbàn | over fifty percent; more than half |
Questions about 半
What does 半 mean?
半 (bàn) means "half; semi-" and is used as a numeral.
How do you write 半?
半 is made of 1 character: 半 (5 strokes). That is 5 strokes in total.
Is 半 an HSK word?
Yes. 半 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 半 and 一半?
半 usually attaches directly to a measure word or noun, as in 半天 (bàntiān) or 半杯 (bàn bēi). 一半 (yībàn) works more like a noun meaning "one half," as in 我吃了一半 (Wǒ chī le yībàn), I ate half of it.
Does 半天 always mean half a day?
No. 半天 (bàntiān) can mean half a day, but in everyday speech it often means "a long time," as in 我等了半天 (Wǒ děng le bàntiān), I waited forever. Context tells you which meaning is intended.