半
bànadjectivenounadverb★Beginner
general
half
半小时
half an hour
半杯水
half a cup of water
general
partial; incomplete
半成品
semi-finished product
general
half of a pair or set
半对
half a pair
Collocations
半小时half an hour半天half a day半年half a year
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
半途而废idiom
to give up halfway
半信半疑idiom
to be half-believing and half-doubting
💡Pro Tip
Usage in Time Expressions
'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).
⚡Gold Rule
Position in Sentences
'半' typically precedes the noun it modifies, e.g., '半杯水' (half a cup of water).
📖Word Origin
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.
📝Usage Notes
'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.
Word Breakdown
八
eight
root儿
a simplified form of '儿'
root汉英词典