# half an hour

CEFR A1 · Compound

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/half-an-hour
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

A period of time that is 30 minutes long.

For teachers: A fixed noun phrase denoting a duration of thirty minutes, formed as a partitive construction (half + an + hour).

## Examples

- The meeting is in half an hour.
- I'll be ready in about half an hour, so you can start getting the car.
- The documentary meticulously detailed the final half an hour of the flight, cross-referencing cockpit recordings with radar data.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I will wait for half hour." but "I will wait for half an hour." — The article 'an' is required between 'half' and 'hour' in this construction.

## Usage notes

- The indefinite article 'an' is required between 'half' and 'hour'.
- Teaching tip: Contrast 'half an hour' (30 minutes) with 'an hour and a half' (90 minutes), as learners often confuse the word order and meaning.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.