半はん時とき

noun, adverb

little while; short time

Only with reading はんとき

Used for a brief, indefinite period of time. Often appears in expressions like 半時も経たないうちに (in less than a short while).

• 半はん時ときもすれば雨あめはやむだろう。

  The rain will probably stop in a little while.

• 半はん時ときほど休やすんでから出でかけよう。

  Let's rest for a short while and then go out.

noun

an hour

Archaic meaning; in historical contexts, 半時 could refer to a full hour (half of an old Japanese temporal unit). Not used in modern Japanese.

• 古こ文ぶんでは「半はん時とき」が一いち時じ間かんを指さすことがある。

  In classical texts, 半時 can refer to an hour.

noun

half an hour

Only with reading はんじ

Rare reading はんじ for 'half an hour'. Not commonly used; modern Japanese prefers 半時間 (はんじかん).

• 「半はん時とき」を「はんじ」と読よむと、三さん十じっ分ぷんの意い味みになることがある。

  When read as はんじ, 半時 can mean half an hour.