Definition
Half hour
A half hour is a duration of 30 minutes, which is one of two equal parts of an hour.
What it means
Split one hour into two equal time blocks. Each block lasts 30 minutes. On a clock, the minute hand travels from 12 to 6 in half an hour. A time such as 7:30 can also be read as half past 7.
Remember it
Two equal parts of 60 minutes make 30 minutes each.
Example
A lesson starts at 2:20 and lasts half an hour. Adding 30 minutes gives an end time of 2:50.
Watch for
Half past 8 means 8:30, not 8:50.
Common mix-up
A half hour is a duration; “half past” is a way to name a clock time 30 minutes after the hour.
Exact meaning
A half hour is a time interval of 30 minutes because one hour contains 60 minutes and half of 60 is 30. On an analogue clock, 30 minutes is half a turn of the minute hand.