興きょう味み半はん分ぶん

expression

half out of interest; mostly out of curiosity

Used when someone does something motivated partly by curiosity, often implying it's not a serious or committed reason. Commonly used in the adverbial form 興味半分で.

• 興きょう味み半はん分ぶんでその本ほんを読よみ始はじめたが、結けっ局きょく最さい後ごまで読よんでしまった。

  I started reading the book half out of curiosity, but ended up finishing it.

• 彼かれは興きょう味み半はん分ぶんにその機き械かいをいじってみた。

  He tinkered with the machine half out of curiosity.