bàn
adjectivenounadverbBeginner
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

eight
root
+
a simplified form of '儿'
root
汉英词典