Quick answer
半 is the kanji for "Half". Its reading is なか.ば (nakaba). This page includes example sentences and a stroke-order diagram.
Meaning
Half
Also : Middle · Part
Learn 半 with SRS
Free to start — no credit card. Track every review with spaced repetition.
Readings
kun = Japanese reading · on = Chinese reading
Practice writing
Trace the kanji stroke by stroke with a visual guide.
Stroke Order
5 strokes
Radicals
Memory Aid
A divide symbol (八 the spreading lines) cut by a horizontal blade at the top — the blade slices through, creating two equal halves. Exactly half and half.
はん (han) sounds like "half" — almost identical to the English word it means!
Example Sentences
半分食べました。
はんぶんたべました。
I ate half of it.
七時半に起きます。
しちじはんにおきます。
I wake up at 7:30.
Vocabulary using 半
Grammar to study at this level
Last updated Jun 18, 2026
Learn 半 with Spaced Repetition
InitialJ uses scientifically proven SRS to help you memorize kanji and vocabulary for the JLPT. N5 is free forever; no credit card required.