半个

bàn ge
phraseBeginner
general

Half of something; a portion that is one of two equal parts.

我吃了半个汉堡。

I ate half a hamburger.

半个世界的人都在睡觉。

Half the world is asleep.

💡

Often used to describe a portion that is exactly half, but can also be used more loosely to mean 'part of' or 'some of'.

Collocations

半个苹果half an apple半个世界half the world半个小时half an hour

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

半半phrase
half and half; neither one nor the other
半途而废idiom
to give up halfway

💡Pro Tip

Countable vs. Uncountable

Use '半个' for countable objects (e.g., half an apple) and '一半' for uncountable quantities (e.g., half the water).

Gold Rule

Precision in Measurement

While '半个' often means exactly half, it can sometimes be used loosely to mean 'part of' or 'some of' in informal contexts.

📖Word Origin

Composed of '半' (half) and '个' (classifier for objects), forming a phrase to denote half of a countable item.

📝Usage Notes

'半个' is commonly used to describe half of a countable object. For uncountable items, '一半' is more appropriate. In some contexts, it can also imply 'part of' or 'some of' without strict mathematical precision.

Word Breakdown

half
root
+
classifier for objects
classifier
汉英词典