后半段 (hòu bàn duàn) — the second half; the latter part (of a narrative, period, route, etc.)

Definition

noun
the second halfthe latter part (of a narrative, period, route, etc.)

Examples

  • ，后半段。
    Diàn yǐng de qián bàn duàn hěn wú liáo, dàn hòu bàn duàn fēi cháng jīng cǎi.
    The first half of the movie was boring, but the second half was very exciting.
  • 后半段。
    Zhè duàn lù chéng de hòu bàn duàn wǒ men dǎ suàn zuò chē.
    For the latter part of this journey, we plan to take a car.
  • 后半段。
    Yǎn jiǎng de hòu bàn duàn zhǔ yào shì huí dá wèn tí.
    The latter part of the speech was mainly answering questions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

后半latter half
后hòulatter半bànhalf
偏正Modifier + head
段duànsection

后半 means 'latter half' and 段 means 'section', together referring to the second half of something.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape pairs 八 (to divide) with 牛 (cow), showing a cow cut into two halves.

Open 半 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
殳殳shū
Sound part声符shēngfú
厂
厂chǎng段duàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

段's shape shows 殳 as a hammer breaking a stone, with fragments flying off.

Open 段 →

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