also: はんぱもん
A derogatory term for a person who is incompetent, unreliable, or lacking in ability; literally 'half-baked person'. Used in casual, often insulting contexts.
He's a halfwit, so I can't trust him with important work.
そんな半端者と一緒に働きたくない。
I don't want to work with such a blockhead.
役立たず means 'useless person' and is more direct, while 半端者 emphasizes lack of full ability or commitment.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed katakana-kanji spelling, common in casual writing.
Compound of 半端 (はんぱ, 'half-finished, incomplete') and 者 (もの, 'person'). The reading はんぱもん is a colloquial contraction.