点半 (half past)

• Pinyin: bàn
• Formation: x 点 + 半
• Hanzi breakdown: 半 = 八 (eight/divide) + 牛 (ox) — an ox divided in half

Meaning

In Chinese time expressions, 半 (bàn) is placed directly after 点 to indicate thirty minutes past the hour. It is the standard way to express 'half past' in Mandarin.

半 literally means 'half' and in time-telling replaces the need to say 三十分 (thirty minutes). For example, 三点半 is equivalent to 三点三十分, but the former is far more common in everyday speech. 半 always appears immediately after 点 with nothing in between — you cannot say 三点钟半. Unlike 分 which requires a number before it, 半 stands alone and always means exactly thirty minutes. This pattern can be combined with morning or evening markers: 早上七点半, 晚上十点半. Note that 半 cannot be combined with additional minutes — to say 3:35, you must say 三点三十五分, not 三点半五分.

Examples

1. 我们约好下午三点半在校门口见。 We agreed to meet at the school gate at 3:30 in the afternoon.
2. 超市每天早上八点半开门。 The supermarket opens at 8:30 every morning.
3. 她通常晚上十点半才睡觉。 She usually doesn't go to sleep until 10:30 at night.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 我每天早上七点半出门上班。
• 午饭时间是十二点半到一点半。
• 演出下午两点半正式开始。

Don't Say

• 现在五点半十分了。(半 means exactly thirty minutes — to say 5:40, use 五点四十分) → 现在五点四十分了。
• 我们三点钟半见面。(半 directly follows 点, not 点钟 — say 三点半) → 我们三点半见面。

Origin & History

The character 半 depicts an ox (牛) divided by a horizontal stroke, representing the concept of splitting something into two equal parts — hence 'half.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal