(bàn) - half & semi-

Tone 4

bàn | 5 strokes | radical: 十

· bàn

half;

semi-;

in the middle;

partly;

incomplete;

a little.

halfsemi-in the middle

Usage highlights

HalfHalfwayMidnightSemi

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • whole, complete
  • entire, complete
  • full

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Half an hour (半小时).
  • Half of the work is done (工作完成了一半).
  • It's half past eight (八点半).
  • He is half Chinese (他是半中国人).

Collocations

  • Half(一半)
  • Halfway(半路)
  • Midnight(半夜)
  • Half-price(半价)
  • Semi-conductor(半导体)
  • Half-believing, half-doubting(半信半疑)

Idioms

  • Half-understood knowledge(半懂不懂)
  • Half-dead from fear(吓得半死)
  • Half the sky(半边天)
  • A half-baked solution(半途而废)
  • Know a little about a lot(半瓶醋)
  • Half-open, half-closed(半开半闭)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Represents the concept of duality and balance in Chinese philosophy.
  • Commonly used in time expressions and measurements.
  • Often appears in idioms describing incomplete states or partial understanding.

FAQ