半ば

Japanese

Etymology

Kanji in this term
半
なか Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
央ば

Compare なか (naka, “middle, inside”). Likely ultimately from Proto-Japonic *naka.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) なかば [nàkáꜜbà] (Nakadaka – [2])
• (Tokyo) なかば [nàkábáꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [na̠ka̠ba̠]

Noun

半(なか)ば • (nakaba) 

1. half

   月(つき)の半(なか)ばは旅(たび)に出(で)ている

   tsuki no nakaba wa tabi ni dete iru

   to go on a trip for half of a month

2. almost, fairly, pretty much

   半(なか)ば諦(あきら)めている

   nakaba akiramete iru

   I'm pretty much giving up

3. 央ば: halfway, the middle, the center

   三十代(さんじゅうだい)半(なか)ばの男(おとこ)

   sanjū dai nakaba no otoko

   A man in the middle of his 30s (around 35)

References

• “半ば”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026