num.
A whole ox divided cleanly into two equal parts. Half, semi-, midway, or partial.
半
adv.
half; partly; semi-
Common Usage & Traps
- 一半 — half; one half of something
- 半个苹果 — half an apple
- 半杯水 — half a glass of water
- 六点半 — half past six
- 半小时 — half an hour
- 一个半小时 — one and a half hours
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半苹果半个苹果半 cannot usually sit directly before a plain object noun. Add a counting word like 个: 半个苹果.
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六半六点半For clock time, 半 comes after 点. 六半 has no hour marker, so it sounds broken.
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一半小时半小时Half an hour is 半小时 or 半个小时, not 一半小时.
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一个半 (for 'one half')一半一个半 means one and a half, not one half. For half of something, say 一半.
Why can you say 六点半 but not 六半 for 6:30?
For clock time, 半 means half past and must come after 点.
English lets you say 'six thirty' or, in some places, 'half six'. Clock time uses 点 as the hour marker. Put 半 after 点 to mean half past that hour. Without 点, 半 has nothing to attach to, so 六半 sounds like a broken fragment.
“早上六点半，起床吃早饭。” (At 6:30 in the morning, I get up and eat breakfast.)
“早上六点半，起床吃早饭。” (At 6:30 in the morning, I get up and eat breakfast.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 | 六点半 | 六半 |
| 7:30 | 七点半 | 七半 |
| 12:30 | 十二点半 | 十二半 |
Why can you say 半杯水 for half a glass of water, but not 半苹果 for half an apple?
With countable objects, 半 needs a counting word: 半个苹果, not 半苹果.
半 cannot usually sit directly before a plain object noun. Put a counting word after 半, then the noun: 半个苹果, 半块蛋糕, 半张纸. Containers like 杯 already act as counting words, so 半杯水 looks like 半 goes straight to a noun. The pattern is still 半 plus counting word plus noun.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| half an apple | 半个苹果 | 半苹果 |
| half a cake | 半块蛋糕 | 半蛋糕 |
| half a glass of water | 半杯水 | 半水 |
| half a piece of paper | 半张纸 | 半纸 |
Why is 一半 just 'half', while 一个半 means 'one and a half'?
一半 means half; 一个半 means one whole plus half, so the 一 counts.
The 一 in 一半 is not a separate 'one'. It is just part of the word for half. When you add a counting word, the order changes: number plus counting word plus 半. So 一个半 means one and a half. That makes 半个苹果 half an apple, while 一个半苹果 is one and a half apples.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| half (of something) | 一半 | 一个半 |
| one and a half (of something) | 一个半 | 一半 |
| half an apple | 半个苹果 | 一个半苹果 |
| one and a half apples | 一个半苹果 | 半个苹果 |
Appears in Stories 3 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.
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年月日点 半 。
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
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碗里的汤还剩 半 碗，已经凉了。
Step through a full day—from morning routines to bedtime—and pick up practical phrases for telling time and talking about your own schedule with a typical Chinese rhyme.
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早上六点 半 ，起床吃早饭。
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下班五点 半 ，回家吃晚饭。
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