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半
bàn
half
我吃了半个苹果。
I ate half an apple.
formal
One of two equal parts; fifty percent
这条路走了一半了。
We've walked half the way.
半小时后见。
See you in half an hour.
Used before nouns to indicate 'half of' (e.g., 半天 'half a day').
formal
Middle; halfway; partially
他已经半醉了。
He's already half drunk.
这件事还没做完，只做了一半。
This isn't finished yet; only half is done.
Often paired with verbs to indicate incompleteness (e.g., 半信半疑 'half-believing, half-doubting').
formal
Odd number (of a time unit, e.g., month, hour)
现在是三点半。
It's half past three.
Used in time expressions like '半点' (half past the hour).
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Time expressions
In time phrases, '半' follows the hour (e.g., '三点半' = 3:30). For minutes, use '分' (e.g., '三点十五分' = 3:15).
Gold Rule
Positioning
'半' precedes the noun it modifies (e.g., '半杯水' 'half a glass of water'). It cannot stand alone as a subject/object.
Word Origin
From Old Chinese *pans (半), related to splitting or dividing equally. The character depicts a knife (刀) cutting an object in two.
Usage Notes
When used as an adverb (e.g., '半死'), it intensifies the adjective (e.g., 'half-dead'). In compounds, it often implies 'incomplete' or 'partial' (e.g., '半生不熟' 'half-cooked').
Word Breakdown
半
half
root刀
knife (as a cutting tool)
radical汉英词典