Japanese word

半ば

Pronunciation

Romajinakaba

Meaning

  • nounhalfway

Example

映画の半ばで眠くなりました。ei ga no naka ba de nemu ku na ri ma shi ta

I got sleepy halfway through the movie.

Illustration for 半ば (halfway)

More examples

作業はまだ半ばなので、完成には時間がかかります。sa gyō wa ma da naka ba na no de kan sei ni wa ji kan ga ka ka ri ma su

The work is only halfway done, so it will take time to finish.

Core concept

Marks the point where an activity or period is around its midpoint, linking the idea of half with being partway through.

Common phrases

  • 話の半ばhanashi no naka ba

    middle of the story

  • 半ばに差しかかるnaka ba ni sa shi ka ka ru

    reach the halfway point

Similar words

途中tochū: A point reached before an activity or journey is finished.
中頃nakagoro: A time around the middle of a period.
中盤chūban: The middle stage of a long event, story, or game.

Definition in Japanese

物事の進行や時間の全体を二つに分けたときの中間のあたり。mono goto no shin kō ya ji kan no zen tai o futa tsu ni wa ke ta to ki no chū kan no a ta ri

Word origin

The native Japanese noun 半ば (nakaba, "halfway") comes from 中 (naka, "middle") and 端 (ha, "edge or end"), with h becoming b in the compound; it is conventionally written 半ば.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 半ば (nakaba) sounds more formal than 途中 (tochū), so 途中 is often preferred in casual speech for "halfway through".

Other meanings

  • middlenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word