half-past

half-past — 慣用語

1. the way to say the time on a clock when the minute hand has moved exactly thirty

1.慣用語A1
釋義

…點半

整點後三十分鐘

the way to say the time on a clock when the minute hand has moved exactly thirty minutes beyond the top of the hour — for example, saying 'half past ten' tells someone it is 10:30.

例句

The train to Brighton leaves at half past ten in the morning.

往布萊頓的火車在早上十點半出發。

half past + hour + time-of-day modifier

Adaeze promised to meet me at half past two outside the library.

Adaeze 答應下午兩點半在圖書館外面跟我見面。

同義詞
  • half after

    American English alternative ('half after seven' for 7:30) — less common than 'half past' in the UK

  • half seven

    British informal abbreviation ('half seven' = 7:30); common in casual speech

  • thirty past

    rare in everyday speech; used mainly in formal radio or TV time announcements

反義詞
  • o'clock

    refers to an exact hour on the clock (e.g., 'four o'clock' = 4:00), not thirty minutes past it

  • quarter past

    fifteen minutes (not thirty) past the hour

  • quarter to

    fifteen minutes before the next hour

文法句型

half past + [hour]

用法筆記

Always followed by an hour number — 'half past' alone is incomplete. The hour can be any number from one to twelve. For times in the 24-hour system, use 'thirty' instead (e.g., 'fifteen thirty' for 15:30). In informal British speech, people sometimes drop 'past' and say 'half seven' (meaning 7:30), but learners should master the full 'half past [hour]' form first.

常見錯誤

❌I will meet you at half past.
✅I will meet you at half past four.
💡'half past' must always be followed by a specific hour number.
❌half past seven a.m.
✅half past seven in the morning
💡use 'in the morning / in the afternoon / at night' rather than 'a.m./p.m.' with 'half past'.
❌half past to seven
✅half past seven
💡'past' already contains the direction; do not add 'to'.
❌half past seven o'clock
✅half past seven
💡do not add 'o'clock' after 'half past'.