half

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 半 means one of two halves of a whole; its on-reading is はん.
• Basic usage: 半分 means half, while 半年 means half a year, or six months.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Reading half a year
  • 半年 is read はんとし. Its initial 半 and final 年 combine different types of readings.
• しか with a negative form
  • 半分しか終わっていない means that only half is finished. Half has been completed and the rest remains.