Meaning
The kanji 半 means half, middle, or halfway. You'll see it daily — on sale signs (半額), on clocks (三時半), and in casual conversation (半分食べた). Written in just 5 strokes, it's taught in Grade 2 of Japanese elementary school.
Etymologically, 半 is an ideographic compound depicting a cow (牛) split down the middle with a cleaver. The top strokes represent the animal's horns; the horizontal bar is the body, bisected cleanly. Over time the bovine imagery was simplified into the geometric form we see today.
Beyond simple arithmetic, 半 also conveys incompleteness or being midway through a process. The reading なかば in particular carries a slightly wistful nuance — neither at the start nor at the end of something.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is ハン. This appears in most compound words and is what you'll encounter most in everyday and written Japanese:
- 半分 (hanbun) — half; the default word for "half" of any quantity
- 半島 (hantō) — peninsula; literally "half island"
- 半額 (hangaku) — half price; common on store sale signs
- 半年 (hantoshi / hannen) — half a year, six months
- 半日 (hannichi) — half a day
- 前半 (zenhan) — first half
- 後半 (kōhan) — second half
- 半径 (hankei) — radius (literally "half diameter")
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi is なか(ば), read as nakaba. Unlike the precise ハン compounds, nakaba feels more poetic — it evokes being midway through a journey, not just a fraction.
- 半ば (nakaba) — halfway, partly; e.g., 「半ばあきらめた」(I half gave up)
- 半ば強制的に (nakaba kyōseiteki ni) — in a half-forced manner
Nakaba appears mostly in adverbial use and literary or semi-formal writing, rarely in compound nouns.
Common Words & Compounds
半 combines productively with many characters. Here are the most useful, grouped by category.
Time Expressions
- 半分 (hanbun) — half of any quantity
- 半年 (hantoshi) — half a year (casual)
- 半年 (hannen) — half a year (formal)
- 半日 (hannichi) — half a day
- 半月 (hantsuki) — two weeks (half a month)
- 半月 (hangetsu) — half moon
- 一時半 (ichiji han) — 1:30; 半 after any hour means ":30"
Price & Quantity
- 半額 (hangaku) — half price
- 半数 (hansū) — half the number
Geography & Shape
- 半島 (hantō) — peninsula
- 半円 (han'en) — semicircle
- 半径 (hankei) — radius
Sequence & Position
- 前半 (zenhan) — first half
- 後半 (kōhan) — second half
- 半ば (nakaba) — midway, halfway through
Clothing & Everyday Objects
- 半袖 (hansode) — short sleeves
- 半開き (hanbiraki) — half open, ajar
- 半熟 (hanjuku) — soft-boiled egg; half-cooked
Example Sentences
今は三時半です。
Ima wa sanji han desu.
It is now three thirty.
このケーキの半分を食べました。
Kono kēki no hanbun wo tabemashita.
I ate half of this cake.
半額セールでシャツを買いました。
Hangaku sēru de shatsu wo kaimashita.
I bought a shirt at the half-price sale.
日本に来て半年が経ちました。
Nihon ni kite hantoshi ga tachimashita.
Half a year has passed since I came to Japan.
試合の前半はとても面白かったです。
Shiai no zenhan wa totemo omoshirokatta desu.
The first half of the game was really fun to watch.
半袖のシャツを着ても暑いです。
Hansode no shatsu wo kite mo atsui desu.
Even in a short-sleeved shirt, it's hot.
半熟の卵が好きです。
Hanjuku no tamago ga suki desu.
I like soft-boiled eggs.
仕事が半ばで終わってしまった。
Shigoto ga nakaba de owatte shimatta.
The work ended halfway through.
朝鮮半島は東アジアにあります。
Chōsen hantō wa Higashi Ajia ni arimasu.
The Korean Peninsula is in East Asia.
Related Kanji
- 今 — Now, Present (Kanji N5)
- 分 — Minute, Part, Divide, Understand (Kanji N5)
- 万 — Ten Thousand (Kanji N5)
- 時 — Time, Hour (Kanji N5)
- 新 — New, Fresh, Novel (Kanji N5)
- 前 — Before, In Front (Kanji N5)
Memory Tip
Picture a cow being split in half. The ancient form of 半 depicted exactly that — the character for cow (牛) with a cleaver through the middle. Look at the shape: the top two strokes spread like horns, the horizontal bar is the body, and the vertical stroke is the blade coming down. Write it a few times with that image in mind and it sticks.