half-baked; insufficient; half ripe
Describes something that is incomplete, immature, or not fully developed, often with a negative connotation. Can refer to skills, ideas, or literal ripeness.
彼の計画は半可で、実現は難しい。
His plan is half-baked and difficult to realize.
この果物はまだ半可だから、もう少し待ったほうがいい。
This fruit is still half ripe, so you'd better wait a little longer.
superficial; half-hearted; shallow
superficial knowledge; smattering · person with superficial knowledge; dilettante; pretentious know-it-all
foolish; stupid
Standard kanji spelling for this word.
Kana spelling is acceptable and may be used for clarity or in informal writing.
The word 半可 is composed of 半 (half) and 可 (acceptable/possible), suggesting something that is only half acceptable or half done. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it likely emerged as a colloquial term for incompleteness.