半 Kanji – half
The Japanese kanji 半 can mean half, middle, odd number, semi-, part-.
Meaning and Readings
How is 半 read?
半 has the onyomi reading ハン and the kunyomi reading なかば.
In romaji, these readings can be written as han, nakaba.
Common Japanese Words Using 半
These common Japanese words contain 半. Select linked kanji to explore their meanings and readings.
- 過半数（かはんすう） — majority
- 後半（こうはん） — second half, latter half
- 四畳半（よじょうはん） — four and a half tatami mats, four-and-a-half-mat room
- 四半期（しはんき） — quarter (of a year)
- 上半期（かみはんき） — first half of the year, first half of the fiscal year
- 上半身（じょうはんしん） — upper half of the body, upper body
- 折半（せっぱん） — halving, splitting evenly, sharing equally
- 前半戦（ぜんはんせん） — first half of a game, first half of a match
- 大半（たいはん） — majority, more than half, most (of)
- 中途半端（ちゅうとはんぱ） — halfway, half measures, unfinished, incomplete, by halves, half-baked, half-cocked, half-hearted, half-arsed, half-assed