Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.
half半 (half / and a half)
Half a cake left
- After the party, your mum looks at the table and counts what is left.
- furthermore还有half of sth半个cake蛋糕and / with和one and a half一个半watermelon西瓜。 — "There's half a cake and one and a half watermelons left."
half半 + measure word (half a …)
- half半 + measure word + noun = half a …: half of sth半个apple苹果, 半杯water水, half a year半年.
- half半 comes before the measure word, with no one / a一 in front.
I我drank喝了half半a glass杯of milk牛奶。
Number + measure word + half半 (… and a half)
- Number + measure word + half半 = … and a half: one and a half一个半hour小时 (an hour and a half), 两年half半 (two and a half years).
- With time: 三点half半 = half past three.
I我waited等了one一个and a half半hours小时。
Where half半 goes
- Half a … : half半 before the measure word (half of sth半个hour小时). … and a half: half半 after it (one and a half一个半hour小时).
- Do not say half一半(measure word)个 or 一个hour小时half半: say half of sth半个 and one and a half一个半hour小时.
half一半 = half of something
- half一半 is a noun: half (of a whole): half一半(modifier / structural particle)的student学生to be / is是schoolgirl女生。 — "Half of the students are girls."
- I / me我only只variant of 吃吃(completed / change)了half一半 — "I only ate half (of it)."
half一半的students学生are是girls女生。
Recap
- half半 + MW = half a …; Number + MW + half半 = … and a half; X点半 = half past X.
- half一半 = half of something, a noun.
Practise this pattern step by step.
Practice without the models
half半 (half / and a half)
0516.1 Complete: “The film is two and a half hours long.” movie电影to have / there is有两个…………hour小时。
0516.2 Which says “half an hour”?
- A. hour小时half半
- B. 一个hour小时half半
- C. half一半(measure word)个hour小时
- D. half of sth半个hour小时
0516.3 Match each phrase to its meaning.
-
- half a year半年
-
- 一年half半
-
- half一半
-
- 三点half半
-
A. half past three
-
B. half a year
-
C. half (of it)
-
D. a year and a half
0516.4 一个hour小时half半 is the usual way to say “an hour and a half”.
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
0516.5 After the party, your mum looks at the table and counts what is left. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
Write or say your own response before reading the key.
Answers and explanations
half半 (half / and a half)
0516.1 half半
Number + MW + half半 + noun = two and a half hours.
0516.2 D. half of sth半个hour小时
half半 + MW + noun.
0516.3 1–B: half a year半年 = half a year; 2–D: 一年half半 = a year and a half; 3–C: half一半 = half (of it); 4–A: 三点half半 = half past three
half半 before the MW is “half a”; after it, “and a half”; half一半 is the noun.
0516.4 False.
Say one and a half一个半hour小时.
0516.5 One possible response: furthermore还有half of sth半个cake蛋糕and / with和one and a half一个半watermelon西瓜。
Check meaning and form:
- My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
- I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
- Half a … : half半 before the measure word (half of sth半个hour小时). … and a half: half半 after it (one and a half一个半hour小时).
- Do not say half一半(measure word)个 or 一个hour小时half半: say half of sth半个 and one and a half一个半hour小时.
- I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.