半天 (bàn tiān) — half a day; (fig.) a long time, quite a while
Definition
As a quantifier, 半天 means literally 'half a day' and can also mean 'a long time' (e.g., 我等了半天 'I waited forever'). 好久 is also 'a long time' but feels about duration; 半天 emphasizes the wait felt like half a day passed.
quantifier
half a day(fig.) a long timequite a while
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 半天。Tā gōng zuò le bàn tiān jiù qù xiū xi le.He worked for half a day and then went to rest.
- 半天,。Wǒ děng le bàn tiān, tā hái shì méi lái.I waited for a long time, but she still hasn't come.
- 半天,。Wǒ men liáo le bàn tiān, tiān dū hēi le.We chatted for quite a while, and it got dark.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 3 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.