Readings: ハン (Onyomi)
Meaning: half
半 is a basic kanji used to represent “half” in many contexts such as time, measurements, and portions. It’s commonly seen in everyday Japanese, especially in time expressions like 一時半 (1:30).
View JLPT N5 Kanji ListKanji Details
| Radical | 十 (ten) |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 5 |
| JLPT Level | N5 |
| Grade | 2nd Grade |
Readings
| Onyomi | ハン (han) |
|---|---|
| Kunyomi | なし |
How to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 半 has 5 strokes. It looks like a variant of the kanji for “eight” (八) and “ten” (十) put together in a balanced shape, hinting at division or splitting into halves.
- Start with the horizontal stroke
- Draw the vertical and slash strokes below it
Example Sentences
Japanese: 今は九時半です。
Kana: いまはくじはんです。
Romaji: Ima wa kuji han desu.
English: It’s 9:30 now.
Japanese: 半分だけ食べました。
Kana: はんぶんだけたべました。
Romaji: Hanbun dake tabemashita.
English: I only ate half of it.
Japanese: 一年の半分は暑いです。
Kana: いちねんのはんぶんはあついです。
Romaji: Ichinen no hanbun wa atsui desu.
English: Half of the year is hot.
Vocabulary Using 半
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 半 | はん | half |
| 半分 | はんぶん | half portion |
| 九時半 | くじはん | 9:30 |
| 前半 | ぜんはん | first half |
| 後半 | こうはん | second half |
🔗 N5 Grammar & Vocabulary
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