後半（こうはん、kouhan）
- second half

The Japanese word 後半 (こうはん) primarily means "the second half," "the latter half," or "the second part" of something. It signifies the period or section that comes after the midpoint or the first portion of a defined time, event, or object. This can apply to various contexts, such as a sports game, a book, a school semester, a movie, or a day. The focus is always on the segment that occurs after the initial or preceding part. The meaning inherently implies a division into two distinct parts, the first half and the second half, the latter being represented by 後半.

⚫︎ 試合の後半 Translation: The second half of the game. ⚫︎ 映画の後半はとても面白かった Translation: The second half of the movie was very interesting. ⚫︎ 授業の後半はグループワークをします Translation: We will do group work in the second half of the class.

後半 is a commonly used word in both formal and informal conversations. You can use it to refer to a specific time, stage, or portion of an event or object, such as a game or a semester. It's important to understand the context to grasp what "second half" refers to. It is usually used in the plain form; however, you can also add particles such as "に" (ni) to specify the context.

後半 is written with the kanji 後 (こう - after, later) and 半 (はん - half). The reading is usually こうはん in hiragana. There is no other way to write it as the word is.

⚫︎ 後半部分 (こうはんぶぶん) - the second half part. ⚫︎ 後半戦 (こうはんせん) - the second half of a game or contest. ⚫︎ 後半期 (こうこうき) - the latter half period.

⚫︎ 前半 (ぜんはん) - the first half, the first part.

あのサッカーの試合は後半で逆転しました。 ・Translation: That soccer game made a comeback in the second half. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates how 後半 is used to specify the part of a game where a significant event took place.

試験の後半は時間が足りなかった。 ・Translation: I didn't have enough time in the second half of the exam. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates how 後半 is used in the context of a test, emphasizing the latter part.

The word 後半 is constructed from two kanji. 後 (go/kou) means "after" or "later," and 半 (han) means "half." Combining these creates a term meaning "the second half" or "the latter half," highlighting the part following a midpoint or earlier segment.