半 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
At its core, 半 means half — one of two equal parts. You'll see it everywhere: 半分 ("half [of something]"), 前半 ("the first half"), 半額 ("half price"). It also carries the sense of "the middle of" a stretch of time, as in 月半ば ("mid-month"). And there's one job 半 does constantly in daily life: telling time. Add 半 after an hour and it means "half past," so 三時半 is "3:30." Once you've learned 半, telling time in Japanese gets a whole lot easier.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| on'yomi | ハン | 半分 (half), 三時半 (3:30), 半年 (half a year), 前半 (first half), 半額 (half price) |
| kun'yomi | なか.ば | 半ば (the middle), 月半ば (mid-month) |
Here's a rule of thumb that works for most kanji: the on'yomi (ハン) shows up inside compound words, while the kun'yomi (なか.ば) appears when the kanji stands more or less alone with a hiragana ending. With 半 the on'yomi ハン does the heavy lifting — nearly every common word uses it — so ハン is the reading to lock in first.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 5. Write the two short top strokes first (they lean inward like a little "v" split), then the long horizontal stroke, and finish with the vertical stroke straight down through the middle.
- Radical: the radical is 十 ("ten"), the cross shape you can see anchoring the bottom of the kanji. The vertical line splitting the top neatly pictures something being cut in two — a handy way to remember "half."
Seeing that central dividing line is a nice memory hook: 半 literally looks like something split down the middle into halves.
Common words using 半
Notice how consistent this kanji is: every single word above uses the on'yomi ハン. That makes 半 friendlier than most — once you know ハン, you can read all of these. (Just watch 半年, which is はんとし — the year part uses its kun reading.)
Example sentences
ヤッタンは三時半に漢字の勉強を始めます。
ヤッタンは さんじはんに かんじの べんきょうを はじめます。
Yattan starts studying kanji at 3:30.
三時半 — the on'yomi ハン, used for telling time ('half past three').
モチはケーキを半分くれました。
モチは ケーキを はんぶん くれました。
Mochi gave me half of the cake.
半分 (はんぶん) — the on'yomi ハン again, meaning 'half a portion.'
先生は「六月の半ばにテストがあります」と言いました。
せんせいは「ろくがつの なかばに テストが あります」と いいました。
Sensei said, There's a test in the middle of June.
半ば (なかば) — the kun'yomi, meaning 'the middle of' a period of time.
Quick recap
- 半 = half / middle; 5 strokes; radical is 十 ("ten").
- ハン (on) is the main reading — used in almost every word: 半分, 三時半, 前半, 半額.
- なか.ば (kun) means "the middle of," as in 月半ば or 六月の半ば.
- Add 半 after an hour to say "half past": 三時半 = 3:30.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 半 in each word.
ことばの読み方として正しいものを選びなさい。
半端
Frequently asked questions
How do you use 半 to tell time?
Put 半 right after the hour to mean 'half past.' So 三時半 (さんじはん) is 3:30, and 七時半 (しちじはん) is 7:30. Here 半 is read with the on'yomi ハン.
How do you read 半 in 半分 vs 半ば?
In compounds it's the on'yomi ハン — 半分 is はんぶん ('half'). When it stands alone with a hiragana ending it's the kun'yomi なか.ば — 半ば is なかば ('the middle').
How many strokes does 半 have?
半 has 5 strokes. Its radical is 十 ('ten'), and the vertical line down the middle is a nice reminder of something being split in half.
Why is 半年 read はんとし and not はんねん?
半年 ('half a year') is read はんとし, mixing the on'yomi ハン with the kun reading とし for 年 ('year'). It's a common mixed-reading word worth memorizing as a set.