Translation and Meaning of: 半 - han
On this page, we will study the meaning of the Japanese word 半 (han) and its translation into English. Let's see their different meanings, example phrases, explanations, etymology and the similar words.
Romaji: han
Kana: はん
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n5
Translation / Meaning: metade
Meaning in English: half
Definition: When something is divided into two equal parts, half of it. It also refers to the other side.
Sumário
- Etymology
- Vocabulary
- Writing
- Phrases
Explanation and Etymology - (半) han
The Japanese word 「半」 (han) is a very common term in the Japanese language and has a wide range of uses. Its basic translation is "half," but it can also mean "medium" or "partially." This kanji is often used in combination with other words to express fractions, time intervals, and measurements, such as in 「半分」 (hanbun), which means "half," or 「一年半」 (ichi-nen han), translated as "one and a half years."
Etymologically, the kanji 「半」 is composed of the radicals 「十」 which means "ten" and 「八」 which means "eight", symbolizing a reduction, that is, "less than ten", associated with the concept of half or incompleteness. In the process of learning the kanji, it is interesting to notice how kanji characters are formed from simpler components, which often have their own meanings and contribute to the overall sense of the character.
Historically, the origin of the word and the character 「半」 goes back to ancient China, from where most of the kanji used in modern Japanese originated. At that time, the characters were used to record mathematics and measurements in official records, which also explains the importance of the meaning of "half" or "middle." This origin contributes to its frequent use in contexts that require precision and orderly division, such as in time divisions, like in 「二時半」 (ni-ji han), which means "two thirty," or in cooking when measuring portions.
The presence of 「半」 in Japanese culture also resonates in its traditions and customs, where it is often necessary to divide objects, time, or space into equal parts. This kanji, aside from its practical function, can be seen as a reflection of the attention to detail that permeates many aspects of life in Japan. In literature or theater, for example, the concept of "half" can be used symbolically to represent dualities or the internal dilemmas of characters.
Synonyms and similar words
- 半分 (Hanbun) - Half, halfway
- 半ば (Nakama) - Half, halfway; in the middle of something
- 半数 (Hannsū) - Half of the total number; amount that represents half
- 半端 (Hanpa) - Half, incomplete; not whole.
- 半日 (Hannichi) - Noon; six-hour period
- 半年 (Hannensuu) - Half a year; six months
- 半信半疑 (Hanshin-hangai) - Doubt, partially believing
- 半額 (Hangaku) - Half the price; fifty percent discount
- 半身 (Han-shin) - Half of the body; referring to a part of the body
- 半月 (Hangetsu) - Half moon; two-week period
- 半音 (Han-on) - Half step; musical interval of a semitone
- 半袖 (Hanasode) - Short manga; part of a garment that partially covers the arms.
- 半径 (Hankei) - Radius, half of the diameter of a circle.
- 半透明 (Hantanmei) - Semi-transparent; partially clear
- 半分母 (Hanbunbo) - Half of the mother; used in mathematical or figurative contexts
- 半夜 (Hanya) - Midnight, nighttime period
- 半面 (Hanmen) - Half of an object or a surface
- 半身浴 (Hanshinyoku) - Full body bath in hot water, but without wetting the upper part of the body.
- 半熟 (Hanjuku) - Half-cooked; texture not fully cooked
- 半ばで (Nakaba de) - In the middle of/during the middle of something
- 半ばから (Nakaba kara) - From the halfway point of something; starting in the middle.
- 半ば以上 (Nakaba ijō) - More than half; equivalent to or greater than half
- 半ばまで (Nakaba made) - Up to the halfway point; limiting oneself to half of something
- 半ば折り返し (Nakaba orikaeshi) - Back halfway; return in a journey or task halfway
- 半ば終わり (Nakaba owari) - In the middle of the end; close to the conclusion of something.
- 半ば過ぎ (Nakaba sugi) - After halfway; allowing something to exceed half of the time or space.
- 半ば戦争 (Nakaba sensō) - Doubt or uncertainty during a conflict; a state of non-total war.
- 半ば固まる (Nakaba katamaru) - Partial solidification; something that is starting to become solid.
- 半ば諦める (Nakaba akirameru) - Partially accepting; giving up somewhat on something
- 半ば決まる (Nakaba kimaru) - Partial determination; when a decision is nearly complete
- 半ば疑う (Nakaba utagau) - Partial doubt; questioning the veracity partially.
- 半ば信じる (Nakaba shinjiru) - Partial belief; believing in part in something
Words related
Words with the same pronunciation: はん han
How to Write in Japanese - (半) han
See below a step-by-step guide on how to write the word by hand in Japanese (半) han:
Example Sentences - (半) han
Below are some example sentences:
Kankoku wa hantō no nanbu ni ichi shite imasu
South Korea is located in the southern part of the Peninsula.
- 韓国 - It corresponds to the name of the country, written in Japanese (Kanji).
- は - Japanese grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence.
- 半島 - It means "peninsula", also written in Kanji.
- の - Japanese grammatical particle that indicates possession or a relationship between two things.
- 南部 - It means "southern part", also written in Kanji.
- に - Japanese grammatical particle that indicates the location of something.
- 位置しています - Verb meaning "to be located", conjugated in the present tense and written in hiragana.
Hanbā kara yarinaosu
Start over from the middle.
Let's start from the middle.
- 半ば (nakaba) - meio
- から (kara) - from
- やり直す (yari naosu) - start over, do it again
Kahansū no hyō o kakutoku suru koto ga shōri no jōken desu
Gaining the most votes is a victory condition.
- 過半数 - means "majority" in Japanese.
- の - particle that indicates possession or relationship between words.
- 票 - means "votes" in Japanese.
- を - particle that indicates the direct object of the sentence.
- 獲得する - verb meaning "to obtain" or "to conquer" in Japanese.
- ことが - particle indicating that the previous verb is the subject of the sentence.
- 勝利 - means "victory" in Japanese.
- の - particle that indicates possession or relationship between words.
- 条件 - means "condition" in Japanese.
- です - verb "to be" in Japanese, indicating that the sentence is in the present tense and is affirmative.
Hanbun no jikan ga tachimashita
Half the time has passed.
The middle of the time has passed.
- 半分 (hanbun) - metade
- の (no) - possession particle
- 時間 (jikan) - time
- が (ga) - subject particle
- 経ちました (tachimashita) - passed, took place
Hansei ga nagai enkei no teburu wo sagashiteimasu
I'm looking for a circular table with a long radius.
I'm looking for a circular table with a long radius.
- 半径 (hankei) - ray
- が (ga) - subject particle
- 長い (nagai) - far away
- 円形 (enkei) - circular
- の (no) - possession particle
- テーブル (teeburu) - table
- を (wo) - direct object particle
- 探しています (sagashiteimasu) - looking for
Gomake wa kachi no hanbun
Losing is half the winning.
- 御負け - means "defeat" in Japanese
- は - topic particle in Japanese
- 勝ち - means "victory" in Japanese
- の - possession particle in Japanese
- 半分 - means "half" in Japanese
Other words of the same type: noun
See other words from our dictionary that are also: noun
