半天

bàntiān
nounadverbIntermediate💡 half a day
informal

Half a day; a long time (informal)

他半天才回复我的消息。

He took half a day to reply to my message.

💡

Often used to express that something took a long time or was delayed.

Collocations

半天不说话not speak for half a day半天没动not move for half a day

Antonyms

Related Phrases

半天不见phrase
not seen for half a day

💡Pro Tip

Literal vs. Figurative Use

While it literally means 'half a day,' it's often used to emphasize that something took a long time.

📖Word Origin

Combination of 半 (half) and 天 (day).

📝Usage Notes

Can be used literally to mean half a day or figuratively to mean a long time.

Word Breakdown

half
root
+
day
root
汉英词典