上半期

Japanese JLPT N1 Vocabulary Japanese ★★★ 3/5 neutral かみはんきkamihanki
Reading かみはんき
Romaji kamihanki
Kanji breakdown 上 (jō/kami) — upper, first; 半 (han) — half; 期 (ki) — period, term
Pronunciation /ka.mi.haŋ.ki/

Meaning

The first half of a year; in business contexts, typically April to September in the Japanese fiscal year (April–March).

A business and financial noun referring to the first half-year period. In Japan's fiscal year, 上半期 covers April to September, while 下半期 covers October to March. Widely used in business reports, earnings announcements, budget planning, and performance reviews. Knowing the pair 上半期／下半期 is essential for reading corporate Japanese.

Examples

  1. 上半期の売り上げは前年同期比で10%増加した。 Sales in the first half of the year increased by 10% compared to the same period last year.
  2. 来年度の上半期に新サービスを開始する予定だ。 We plan to launch a new service in the first half of the next fiscal year.
  3. 上半期の成績を踏まえて、下半期の戦略を見直す。 Based on the first half's results, we will revise our strategy for the second half.

Usage Guide

Context: business, finance, fiscal reporting, corporate

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 上 (upper, first), 半 (half), and 期 (period/term). The 上/下 pairing is a conventional Japanese way of dividing any period into a first and second half.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Working adults

Social background: Professional

Related Phrases

年度 Fiscal year; academic year; official year. A defined annual period used for administrative, educational, or financial purposes, often not aligned with the calendar year. 昭和 The Shōwa era; the imperial reign period of Emperor Hirohito, spanning 1926 to 1989. One of the longest and most historically eventful eras in Japanese history. 歴史的 Historic; historical. Describes something of great historical significance, or something related to history in general. 元号 Era name; the official name given to a reign period in the Japanese imperial system. Japan currently uses the era Reiwa, which began in 2019. 干支 The Chinese zodiac; the traditional sexagenary cycle combining the ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches. Also used colloquially to refer to one's zodiac animal sign. 年号 Era name; Japanese era designation. An official name given to a reign period in the traditional Japanese calendar system. 年度末 End of the fiscal year or academic year; year-end in the Japanese administrative calendar. Typically refers to late March. 戦前 Pre-war; the period before a war. In Japanese, typically refers to Japan before World War II, particularly before 1937 or 1941.
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