半 bàn half
How to remember 半: 丷 horns + 𰀁 double cross = half. The old teacher grabs the cow by the horns and ties it to the double cross of her fence, but it has eaten half her garden.
Component breakdown
半 = 丷 horns + 𰀁 double cross
- 丷 horns
- 𰀁 double cross
The old teacher grabs the cow by the horns and ties it to the double cross of her fence, but it has eaten half her garden.
How it came to be
An ox with the two strokes of eight, turning away from each other, drawn over the top. The ox is being divided, and dividing the largest thing anybody owned is how to say half.
How it is used
- 'Half' - 一半 (yíbàn) a half, 半个 (bàn ge) half of one, 两点半 (liǎng diǎn bàn) half past two.
- 半 sits directly before a measure word (半个小时 half an hour), whereas 一半 stands alone as the noun 'the half'.
Characters built with 半
Words with 半
- 一半yíbànhalfHSK 1
- 半天bàntiāna long time, half a dayHSK 3
- 半夜bànyèmidnightHSK 5
- 上半场shàngbànchǎngfirst half of a game or contestHSK 7
- 下半场xiàbànchǎngsecond half of a game or contestHSK 7
- 半信半疑bànxìn-bànyíhalf believing, half doubtingHSK 7
- 半导体bàndǎotǐsemiconductorHSK 7
- 半数bànshùhalf the numberHSK 7
- 半边天bànbiāntiānhalf the skyHSK 7
- 多半duōbànmostHSK 7
- 过半guòbànover fifty percentHSK 7
- 半岛bàndǎopeninsulaHSK 8
- 半径bànjìngradiusHSK 8
- 半途而废bàntú’érfèito give up halfway (idiom)HSK 8
Example sentences
- 我工作了半年。 Wǒ gōngzuòle bàn nián.I worked for half a year.
- 我把桔子分成两半。 Wǒ bǎ júzi fēnchéng liǎngbàn.I cut the orange into two halves.
- 他往往工作到半夜。 Tā wǎngwǎng gōngzuò dào bànyè.He often works until midnight.