half

(dry out) + (dot)
★★★★★
5 strokes
PREPKSTRONG
PREFIX - you can't use this willy-nilly, but if you see it before a noun, you know it means 'half of that noun.'

Onyomi

HAN

HAN solo was half of the crew of the Millennium Falcon.

Mnemonic

HALF the dots are on the left side of 干, and HALF are on the right side!

Kunyomi

なか*ば in the middle, halfway (mid-30s, middle of June, mid-century) KANA
★★☆☆☆

Jukugo

2時半(にじはん)

2:30 ★★★★★
(time) + (half) = 2時半 (2:30)

半分(はんぶん)

one half ★★★★★
(half) + (understand / divide / minute) = 半分 (one half)

半年(はんとし)

half a year. ★★★★☆ KUN ON
(half) + (year) = 半年 (half a year.)

半額(はんがく)

half-price ★★★☆☆
(half) + (amount of money / forehead) = 半額 (half-price)

half-price, half the amount.

Lookalikes

Meaning Hint Radical
half HEAD
equal / level top is LEVEL

only 半 (half) has a litle 'head' poking up. So say to yourself, The samurai cuts your head in HALF.

There IS no head poking up the top of "level." . . I guess you could say the top is LEVEL.

Used In