HSK · Level 16
135 words
Chinese word
半年
Pronunciation
Pinyinbàn nián
Meaning
- nounhalf a year
Example
我学中文半年了。wǒ xué zhōng wén bàn nián le
I have been studying Chinese for half a year.
More examples
在半年里，他学会了很多新东西。zài bàn nián lǐ tā xué huì le hěn duō xīn dōng xī
Within half a year, he learned many new things.
Core concept
A six-month stretch that covers one half of a full yearly cycle.
Common phrases
只有半年zhí yǒu bàn nián
a mere half a year
在半年里zài bàn nián lǐ
within half a year
Similar words
六个月liù gè yuè: A duration of six months.
Definition in Chinese
一年的一半，即六个月的时间段。yì nián de yí bàn jí liù gè yuè de shí jiān duàn
Word origin
半年 (bànnián, "half a year") combines 半 (bàn, "half") with 年 (nián, "year"), so the word names one of the two equal time spans in a year.
Usage tips
- Chinese can place this duration after the verb to show how long an activity lasts, often without an equivalent of English for.