How to Say "Half an Hour" in Japanese

30分

sanjuppun

In Japanese, "half an hour" is expressed as 30分 (sanjuppun).

30分 is used to denote a period of time lasting for thirty minutes.

Which one should you use?

If you wish to say "about half an hour" instead of an exact amount, you can add ほど after the number to create 30分ほど.

sanjuppun

The word 分 for 'minute' is also used to describe 'parts' or 'portions'. In a different context, it can refer to one's 'social standing' or 'lot in life'.
In very formal or traditional contexts, Japanese time was once measured in 刻, where a 'half' period was not 30 minutes but a variable length depending on the season.
When telling the time, 半 meaning 'half' is used to say 'half past' the hour, such as 1時半 for 1:30, but it is not used to describe a 30-minute duration like 30分.

30分で戻るよ。
I'll be back in half an hour.
This sentence shows how to express returning within a certain timeframe using 30分.
Tatoeba #11336727 by small_snow, translation #2711755 by sharptoothed
昼休憩が30分あります。
I have half an hour lunch break.
This sentence demonstrates how to state the duration of a lunch break using 30分.
Tatoeba #11623929 by small_snow, translation #11066312 by sundown
30分ほどお待ちください。
Please wait half an hour.
This sentence is useful for polite requests to wait for a specific duration using 30分.
Tatoeba #11648601 by small_snow, translation #851099 by papabear
Chotto matte, sanjuubun okuremasu (ちょっと待って、三十分遅れます)
Wait a moment, I will be delayed by half an hour.
9 more sentences on Tatoeba

Kenta and Yui are discussing a movie schedule at home.

結衣 Yui

映画の開始まであと30分あるよ。
Eiga no kaishi made ato sanjuppun aru yo.
There is half an hour left until the movie starts.
健太 Kenta

じゃあ、少しカフェで休もうか。
Jaa, sukoshi kafe de yasumou ka.
Then, shall we rest at a cafe for a bit?
結衣 Yui

いいよ。あそこのコーヒーは美味しいよ。
Ii yo. Asoko no koohii wa oishii yo.
Sure. The coffee there is good.
健太 Kenta

了解。行こう。
Ryoukai. Ikou.
Roger that. Let's go.

Sources

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