半 — “half” in Japanese

Grade 2はん, なか

Radical ⼗ · radical 24 The building block this kanji is filed under

“half” in Japanese is 半, read han, naka (はん, なか). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 半分 (half).

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What does 半 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	半
Meaning	half
Readings	はん, なか
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	半分 (half)

How to read 半

半 is read han (はん) or naka (なか) depending on the word.

Words with 半

前半ぜんはん
後半こうはん
半分はんぶん
前半十分ぜんはんじゅっぷん
半島
半袖

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Kanji read the same way as 半

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28