Expressing "half" with "ban"

半 (bàn) means "half." That's simple enough, but what can get slightly tricky is the rules for how it combines with measure words. We explain all those here.

Standard Usage

Used alone

Structure

半 + Measure Word + Noun

Examples

The measure words are also indicated below.

• 半 个 小时 half an hour
• 半 个 月 half a month
• 半 个 苹果 half an apple
• 半 碗 米饭 half a bowl of rice
• 半 条 鱼 half a fish
• 半 只 鸡 half a chicken
• 半 杯 红酒 half a glass of red wine
• 半 瓶 酒 half a bottle of liquor

With a Number

When it's more than just a half, then 半 (bàn) comes after the measure word instead of before. It's the difference between "half an hour" and "an hour and a half." The order is actually basically the same as what we do in English (we just don't have so many pesky measure words to keep track of in English!).

Structure

Number + Measure Word + 半 + Noun

Examples

• 一 个 半 小时 an hour and a half
• 两 个 半 月 two and a half months
• 三 个 半 苹果 three and a half apples
• 四 杯 半 红酒 four and a half glasses of red wine
• 五 碗 半 米饭 five and a half bowls of rice
• 六 条 半 鱼 six and a half fish
• 七 瓶 半 酒 seven and a half bottles of liquor
• 八 只 半 鸡 eight and a half chickens
• 九 块 半 肉 nine and a half pieces of meat
• 十 包 半 饼干 ten and a half bags of crackers

Notable Exceptions

There are some words that act as their own measure words, notably the time words 天 (tiān) and 年 (nián).

Used alone

The three examples used here are "day," "year."

Structure

半 + 天/年

Examples

• 半 天 half a day
• 半 年 half a year

With a Number

Structure

Number + 天/年 + 半

Examples

• 两 天 半 two and a half days
• 一 年 半 a year and a half
• 三 天 半 three and a half days
• 四 年 半 four and a half years

See also

• Structure of times