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half
半小时
half an hour
半杯水
half a cup of water
partial; incomplete
半成品
semi-finished product
half of a pair or set
半对
half a pair
'半' is frequently used in time expressions to indicate a duration that is half of a standard unit, such as '半小时' (half an hour) or '半天' (half a day).
'半' typically precedes the noun it modifies, e.g., '半杯水' (half a cup of water).
The character '半' is composed of '八' (eight) and '儿' (a simplified form of '儿'), originally representing the division of a whole into two equal parts.
'半' is commonly used to indicate a division of something into two equal or unequal parts. It can be used as an adjective, noun, or adverb depending on the context.