半决赛

• Pinyin: bàn jué sài
• Hanzi breakdown: 半 = half; 决 = 冫(ice) + 夬, to decide; 赛 = competition

Meaning

Semifinal; semi-final match. The round of competition before the final, where four competitors are narrowed to two.

A sports and competition term referring to the penultimate round of a tournament. Winners of the semifinals advance to the final. Used for various sports, game shows, and competitions. Often an exciting stage as it determines finalists.

Examples

1. 他们在半决赛中战胜了上届冠军，太令人振奋了。 They defeated last year's champion in the semifinals — how exciting!
2. 半决赛将在下周六进行，比赛门票已经售罄。 The semifinals will be held next Saturday, and tickets have already sold out.
3. 这是他第一次打进世界杯半决赛，创造了历史。 This is the first time he has reached the World Cup semifinals, making history.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, competition

Tone: exciting

Do Say

• 球队成功晋级半决赛了！(The team has successfully advanced to the semifinals!)
• 半决赛的对手很强，我们需要好好准备。(The semifinal opponent is very strong — we need to prepare well.)

Don't Say

• 不要说'二分之一决赛' (Don't say 'one-half final' — the standard term is 半决赛, not a mathematical expression)

Origin & History

Compound of 半 (half) + 决赛 (final/deciding match), meaning the match that is halfway to the final.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal