前半（ぜんはん、zenhaん）
- first half

The Japanese word 前半 (ぜんはん, zenhan) means "the first half," "the first part," or "the first period." It refers to the initial segment or portion of something that is divided into two or more equal or unequal parts, such as a game, a year, a day, a book, or a performance. The 前半 is used to specify that the discussion, event, or object in question is limited to the beginning or initial section.

⚫︎ 試合の前半 Translation: The first half of the match. ⚫︎ 今年の前半はとても忙しかった Translation: The first half of this year was very busy. ⚫︎ 映画の前半は面白かった Translation: The first part of the movie was interesting.

You use 前半 when you want to refer to the first part of something. It is commonly used in contexts involving: ⚫︎ Sports: referring to the first half of a game (e.g., soccer, basketball). ⚫︎ Time: discussing the first half of a year, month, day, or any specified duration. ⚫︎ Events: describing the beginning portion of a concert, conference, or performance. ⚫︎ Content: addressing the initial chapters, sections, or part of a book, movie, or presentation. It can be used both formally and informally, depending on the situation.

前半 is typically written as: ⚫︎ Kanji: 前半 ⚫︎ Reading: ぜんはん (zenhan) - using hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word, nor are there variations in the okurigana.

Some synonyms for 前半 include: ⚫︎ 始め (はじめ, hajime) - beginning, start. ⚫︎ 最初 (さいしょ, saisho) - the first, the beginning. ⚫︎ 前期 (ぜんき, zenki) - the first term/period (often used in academic or business contexts).

Antonyms or opposite words for 前半 include: ⚫︎ 後半 (こうはん, kouhan) - the second half, the latter half. ⚫︎ 終わり (おわり, owari) - end, finish.

サッカーの試合の前半は、両チームとも得点できなかった。 ・Translation: In the first half of the soccer match, both teams couldn't score. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 前半 to specifically refer to the initial portion of the soccer game, focusing on the lack of goals scored by either team.

プレゼンテーションの前半は、自己紹介と問題提起を行います。 ・Translation: In the first part of the presentation, we will do self-introductions and raise the issue. ・Explanation: This sentence indicates what will happen in the initial part (前半) of the presentation, which is self-introductions and the mentioning of the subject of presentation.

The word 前半 is a compound word. It is composed of: ⚫︎ 前 (ぜん, zen) - meaning "before," "former," or "previous." ⚫︎ 半 (はん, han) - meaning "half." Together, they form "the first half" or "the first part."