KaiwaGo半 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
半 means “half”. It is written with 5 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ハン (han). Kun’yomi: なか.ば (nakaba).
How to write 半 (stroke order)
Write 半 in 5 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 半
Trace 半 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 半
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ハン (han) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | なか.ば (nakaba) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 半 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 半
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 半分 | はんぶん hanbun | half | |
| 三時半 | さんじはん sanjihan | half past three |
半分 (hanbun) means “half”. Also in this word: 分
三時半 (sanjihan) means “half past three”. Also in this word: 三時
FAQ
What does 半 mean in Japanese?
半 means “half”. Common words with it are 半分 (hanbun, “half”) and 三時半 (sanjihan, “half past three”).
How many strokes does 半 have?
半 has 5 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 5.
How do you read 半?
The on’yomi is ハン (han) and the kun’yomi is なか.ば (nakaba). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 半 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 半 is kanji number 28 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.