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半 (half / and a half)
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Half a cake left
- After the party, your mum looks at the table and counts what is left.
- furthermore还有half of sth半个cake蛋糕and / with和one and a half一个半watermelon西瓜。 — "There's half a cake and one and a half watermelons left."
half半 + measure word (half a …)
- half半 + measure word + noun = half a …: half of sth半个apple苹果, half半a glass杯water水, half a year半年.
- half半 comes before the measure word, with no one / a一 in front.
I我drank喝了half半a glass杯of milk牛奶。

Number + measure word + half半 (… and a half)
- Number + measure word + half半 = … and a half: one and a half一个半hours小时 (an hour and a half), 两年half半 (two and a half years).
- With time: 三点half半 = half past three.
I我waited等了one一个and a half半hours小时。
Complete: “The film is two and a half hours long.” 电影有两个____小时。
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Number + MW + 半 + noun = two and a half hours.
Where half半 goes
- Half a … : half半 before the measure word (half of sth半个hours小时). … and a half: half半 after it (one and a half一个半hours小时).
- Do not say half一半(measure word)个 or one一个hours小时half半: say half of sth半个 and one and a half一个半hours小时.
Which says “half an hour”?
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半 + MW + noun.
一个小时半 is the usual way to say “an hour and a half”.
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Say 一个半小时.
half一半 = half of something
- half一半 is a noun: half (of a whole): half一半(modifier / structural particle)的students学生are是girls女生。 — "Half of the students are girls."
- I我only只variant of 吃吃(completed / change)了half一半 — "I only ate half (of it)."
half一半的students学生are是girls女生。
Match each phrase to its meaning.
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半 before the MW is “half a”; after it, “and a half”; 一半 is the noun.
Recap
- half半 + MW = half a …; Number + MW + half半 = … and a half; Xpoint点half半 = half past X.
- half一半 = half of something, a noun.
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Numbers and measure words.
After the party, your mum looks at the table and counts what is left. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.