半

• Reading: はん
• Romaji: han
• Kanji breakdown: 半 (han) — half; composed of 八 (split) + 牛 (ox)
• Pronunciation: /haɴ/

Meaning

Half; half past (the hour). Used to express thirty minutes past an hour.

Most commonly heard in time expressions: 三時半 (sanji-han, 3:30). Also used as a prefix meaning 'semi-' or 'half-' in words like 半分 (hanbun, half portion) and 半年 (hantoshi, half a year). Always placed after the hour when telling time, never before.

Examples

1. 今、七時半です。 It's 7:30 now.
2. このケーキを半分ください。 I'll have half of this cake, please.
3. 半年日本語を勉強しました。 I studied Japanese for half a year.

Usage Guide

Context: telling time, quantities, duration

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 半 depicts an ox (牛) being split in two (八), representing the concept of halving.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal