半 means “half”

はん · han

Also: middle, odd number, semi-

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

なかば

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ハン

JLPT N5 · Taught in grade 2 · 5 strokes

The story

Half past, half price, half-time: 半 divides all things in two, the balance point of every whole.

Used in telling time: 三時半 (sanji-han) means "half past three"

Its parts

• 丷 Horns/split · Top
• 十 Ten · Center
• 丨 Line · Bottom

Something split (丷) down the middle: half

Words with 半

• 半年 (はんとし, hantoshi): half a year
• 半分 (はんぶん, hanbun): half

Kanji that look like 半

• 平 (flat / peace): 平 has two dots on the sides, 半 has a vertical line through: cutting in half

More from Ancient Counting

• 零 zero
• 数 number
• 一番 first
• 年 year
• 分 minute
• 多 many
• 一 one
• 二 two
• 三 three
• 四 four
• 五 five
• 六 six

Learn 半 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.