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一半 (yī bàn) — half

Definition

一半 is the full word 'half' — use it on its own (一半的人 'half the people') or before a noun. 半 is the bare measure-style form used before measure words or numbers (半个, 两个半).

numeral
half

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ chī le yì yī bàn de píng guǒ.
    I ate half an apple.
  • 。
    Wǒ hē le yì yī bàn de shuǐ.
    I drank half of the water.
  • 。
    Yì yī bàn de rén lái le.
    Half of the people have come.

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.

一yīone
半bànhalf

一 and 半 combine to mean one half.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

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 →
Appears in
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