What does 半 mean in Japanese?
半 means “half.” You will often see it in 半分 (hanbun, half) and in times such as 三時半 (sanji han, half past three).
It also divides periods of time, as in 半年 (hantoshi, half a year) and 前半 (zenhan, the first half).
Reading
On’yomi: ハン (han)
Kun’yomi: なか-ば (naka-ba)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 半 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | half |
| Stroke Count | 5 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
Attached to a time, 半 means “thirty minutes past”: 七時半 is 7:30. At the start of a word, it marks half of something, as in 半日 and 半額 (half price). 前半 and 後半 split a match, a month, or a film into its first and second halves.
Common Words
- 半分（はんぶん / hanbun） — half
- 半年（はんとし / hantoshi） — half a year
- 半日（はんにち / hannichi） — half a day
- 前半（ぜんはん / zenhan） — first half
- 後半（こうはん / kouhan） — second half
- 半額（はんがく / hangaku） — half price
Example Sentences
-
授業は九時半に始まります。
じゅぎょうはくじはんにはじまります。 / Jugyou wa kuji han ni hajimarimasu.
Class starts at 9:30.
-
りんごを半分に切って、妹と食べました。
りんごをはんぶんにきって、いもうととたべました。 / Ringo o hanbun ni kitte, imouto to tabemashita.
I cut an apple in half and ate it with my younger sister.
-
この店では、夜八時から弁当が半額になります。
このみせでは、よるはちじからべんとうがはんがくになります。 / Kono mise de wa, yoru hachiji kara bentou ga hangaku ni narimasu.
At this shop, boxed lunches are half price from 8 p.m.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
半分 is the everyday word for “half”; 半 is mostly added to times and amounts, as in 一時間半 (an hour and a half). Notice that 半年 is read はんとし, with the kun reading of 年, while 半日 is はんにち.
Summary
Use 半分 for half of something, and add 半 after times and amounts, as in 三時半 and 一時間半.
Want to study more JLPT N4 kanji by theme? See our JLPT N4 Kanji Study List.