What does “hanbun” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “hanbun” to mean ‘half’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “hanbun” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “hanbun”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “hanbun”.
- hanbun – 半分 (はんぶん) : a noun meaning ‘half’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Native speakers use this noun to refer to a half part of something in Japanese. In addition, they use this like a pronoun depending on the context and situation. So, its usages are very similar to those of the English word, “half”, I think.
The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Hanbun in kanji
The kanji expression of “hanbun” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 半 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘half’ in Japanese.
- 分 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘part’ in Japanese. This can also be found in other words like “jibun” and “tabun“.
These two kanji characters tell us that “hanbun” literally means a ‘half part’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is completely in line with the actual meaning.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “hanbun” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “hanbun” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “half” in Japanese
kanojo wa kono momo no hanbun wo tabe ta – 彼女はこの桃の半分を食べた (かのじょはこのもものはんぶんをたべた)
She ate half of this peach.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence.
- kono – この : a determiner used before a noun referring to a thing close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before “momo” to say “this peach” in Japanese.
- momo – 桃 (もも) : a noun meaning ‘peach’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- no – の : a case particle joining two nouns. Normally, the first one can work as a modifier to describe the second. In the example, this works to join “kono momo” and “hanbun”. The formed phrase literally means ‘half of this peach’ in Japanese. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this case particle is similar to that of the English preposition, “of”.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kono momo no hanbun” to make the object in the sentence.
- tabe – 食べ (たべ) : one conjugation of the verb, “taberu“, which means ‘to eat’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “tabe” to make its past tense form, “tabe ta”.
This is a typical usage of “hanbun”. In the example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “kono momo no hanbun”, which means ‘half of this peach’ in Japanese.
Example #2: another usage of “hanbun”
seito no hanbun ga gakkou ni ki ta – 生徒の半分が学校に来た (せいとのはんぶんががっこうにきた)
Half of the students came to the school.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- seito – 生徒 (せいと) : a noun meaning ‘student’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “seito no hanbun” to make the subject in the sentence.
- gakkou – 学校 (がっこう) : a noun meaning ‘school’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “gakkou” to say where the students came.
- ki – 来 (き) : one conjugation of the verb, “kuru“, which means ‘to come’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
This is another typical usage of “hanbun”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “seito no hanbun”, to say “half of the students” in Japanese. When we want to refer to a half part of something in Japanese, “hanbun” is always a very good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “hanbun” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- hanbun – 半分 (はんぶん) : a noun meaning ‘half’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘half part’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is completely in line with the actual meaning.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.