半天

半天 means 'half a day' in English. It refers to a period of time that is half of a full day, typically around 12 hours. It is often used in contexts involving work, rest, or activity duration.

The character 半 (bàn) means 'half,' and 天 (tiān) means 'day.' Together, they form a compound that literally translates to 'half day.' This term has been used historically in Chinese timekeeping systems and remains common in modern speech.

半天 is frequently used in daily conversations to describe a short period of time. For example, people might say they will be back in 半天, meaning they will return within a day. It can also be used metaphorically, such as in phrases like “半天没动静” (nothing happened for half a day), to express a long wait.