半天 bàn tiān
“half of the day; a long time; quite a while”
time word2021 list level 1Measure word 个
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
半天 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 513: 半天 bàntiān — Level 3; official annotation 3 (数量). PDF page 92
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 半天
半天 literally means half a day (上半天班、用了半天时间). After a verb it often means "quite a while", especially with 了: 找了半天、等了半天; 半天才… stresses that something finally happened only after a long time.
例句Example sentences
- 他每天只上半天班，下午在家休息。tā měi tiān zhī shàng bàn tiān bān, xià wǔ zài jiā xiū xi.He only works half a day every day and rests at home in the afternoon.
- 我找了半天，也没找到我的钥匙。wǒ zhǎo le bàn tiān, yě méi zhǎo dào wǒ de yào shi.I looked for quite a while but still couldn't find my keys.
- 他在门口站了半天才敲门。tā zài mén kǒu zhàn le bàn tiān cái qiāo mén.He stood at the door for a long time before knocking.
易混词Easily confused
半天vs一半
一半 expresses "half" of a specific whole: it can follow a verb (吃了一半、成功了一半) or come before 的 + noun (一半的学生). 半天 is a fixed quantity meaning half a day, or informally "a long while".