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  <title>Expressing "half" with "ban"</title>
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  <h1>Expressing "half" with "<span class="pinyinst">ban</span>" "<span class="hanzist">半</span>"</h1>

  <p>The Chinese word <span class="hanzi">半</span> (<span class="pinyin">bàn</span>) means "half." That's simple enough, but what can get slightly tricky is the rules for how it combines with measure words.</p>

  <h2 id="basic-usage">Basic Usage</h2>

  <h3 id="used-alone">Used Alone</h3>

  <h4 id="structure">Structure</h4>

  <p>You'll need to use a measure word (Measure Word) in this structure.</p>

  <div class="deux">
    <p><span class="hanzist">半</span> + Measure Word + Noun</p>
  </div>

  <h4 id="examples">Examples</h4>

  <p>The measure words are also indicated below.</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">半 个 小时</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">bàn gè xiǎoshí</span> <br/> half an hour</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">半 个 月</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">bàn gè yuè</span> <br/> half a month</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">半 碗 米饭</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">bàn wǎn mǐfàn</span> <br/> half a bowl of rice</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">半 瓶 酒</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">bàn píng jiǔ</span> <br/> half a bottle of liquor</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">半 份 炒面</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">bàn fèn chǎomiàn</span> <br/> half a serving of chow mein</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h3 id="with-a-number">With a Number</h3>

  <p>When it's more than just a half, then <span class="hanzi">半</span> (<span class="pinyin">bàn</span>) comes after the measure word instead of before. It's the difference between "half an hour" and "an hour and a half."</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">半 个 小时</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">bàn gè xiǎoshí</span> <br/> half an hour</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">一 个 半 小时</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">yī gè bàn xiǎoshí</span> <br/> an hour and a half</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>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!).</p>

  <h4 id="structure-1">Structure</h4>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>Number + Measure Word + <span class="hanzist">半</span> + Noun</p>
  </div>

  <h4 id="examples-1">Examples</h4>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">三 个 半 小时</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">sān gè bàn xiǎoshí</span> <br/> three and a half hours</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">两 个 半 月</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">liǎng gè bàn yuè</span> <br/> two and a half months</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">一 斤 半 水果</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin"><span class="vert">One "jin" = 500g</span> yī jīn bàn shuǐguǒ</span> <br/> one and a half jin of fruit</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">一 瓶 半 白酒</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">yī píng bàn báijiǔ</span> <br/> one and a half bottles of wine</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">四块 半 巧克力</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">sì kuài bàn qiǎokèlì</span> <br/> four and a half pieces of chocolate</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="notable-exceptions">Notable Exceptions</h2>

  <p>There are some words that act as their own measure words, notably the time words <span class="hanzi">天 </span>(<span class="pinyin">tiān</span>), meaning "day," and <span class="hanzi">年</span> (<span class="pinyin">nián</span>), meaning "year."</p>

  <h3 id="used-alone-1">Used Alone</h3>

  <h4 id="structure-2">Structure</h4>

  <div class="deux">
    <p><span class="hanzist">半</span> + <span class="hanzist">天</span> / <span class="hanzist">年</span></p>
  </div>

  <h4 id="examples-2">Examples</h4>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">半 天</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">bàn tiān</span> <br/> half a day</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">半 年</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">bàn nián</span> <br/> half a year</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <p>Note that you do not need to use <span class="hanzi">个</span> (<span class="pinyin">gè</span>) here; in fact, it's wrong to do so:</p>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">半 个 天</span> <span class="pinyin">bàn gè tiān</span> half a day</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">半 个 年</span> <span class="pinyin">bàn gè nián</span> half a year</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h3 id="with-a-number-1">With a Number</h3>

  <p><span class="hanzi">天</span> (<span class="pinyin">tiān</span>) and <span class="hanzi">年</span> (<span class="pinyin">nián</span>) aren't the only words that take this alternate pattern, but they're the two key ones you need to learn first.</p>

  <h4 id="structure-3">Structure</h4>

  <div class="deux">
    <p>Number + <span class="hanzist">天</span> / <span class="hanzist">年</span> + <span class="hanzist">半</span></p>
  </div>

  <h4 id="examples-3">Examples</h4>

  <div class="exemple">
    <ul>
      <li><span class="hanzi">两 天 半</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">liǎng tiān bàn</span> <br/> two and a half days</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">一 年 半</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">yī nián bàn</span> <br/> a year and a half</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">三 天 半</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">sān tiān bàn</span> <br/> three and a half days</li>

      <li><span class="hanzi">四 年 半</span> <br/> <span class="pinyin">sì nián bàn</span> <br/> four and a half years</li>
    </ul>
  </div>

  <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>

  <ul>
    <li><a href="Structure_of_times" title="wikilink">Structure of times</a></li>
  </ul>

  <p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a></p>
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