Time (II): Half past
FoundationLong hand at 6 = half past.
After this lesson, you can:
- Minute hand at 6 = half past (30 min).
- At half past the hour hand is between two numbers.
- Take the smaller number for the hour.
1Summary 重點摘要
Long hand at 6 = half past.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
H
Half past半點（幾點半）
30 minutes past; minute hand at 6.
M
Minute hand分針（長針）
The long hand; shows minutes.
H
Hour hand時針（短針）
The short hand; shows the hour.
H
Half an hour半個鐘
30 minutes.
B
Between中間
The hour hand stands between two numbers.
O
O'clock點正
Minute hand at 12.
4
4:30四點半
Digital way to write half past 4.
R
Read the clock看時鐘
Tell the time from the clock.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Minute hand at 6 = half pastOn a clock face the long hand is the minute hand and the short hand is the hour hand; learn to tell them apart first. When the long hand moves from 12 to 6, it has gone exactly half way round, which is 30 minutes, so we say 'half past', meaning half an hour has passed.
- Step 2: Where the hour hand standsAt half past, the short hand does not point exactly at a number. At half past 3, for example, the short hand has left 3 and stands between 3 and 4, because half an hour has gone by and the hand is travelling towards the next number.
- Step 3: Take the smaller numberWhen the short hand stands between two numbers, read the time with the smaller one. If it is between 5 and 6, take 5 and say 'half past 5'; do not take 6, because it is not 6 o'clock yet. Remember this rule and half past will never be misread.
- Step 4: Full readingTo read half past, look at both hands: the long hand at 6 means 30 minutes, and the short hand just past 2 means it is after 2 o'clock; together it is half past 2. Both hands must be seen to read the full time; looking at only one hand easily goes wrong, so build the habit.
- Step 5: Digital writingHalf past can also be written in digits: half past 3 is written 3:30; the number before the colon shows the hour and the 30 after it shows 30 minutes. Half past 7 is written 7:30. This way of writing is very common on digital clocks.
- Step 6: O'clock vs half pastUse the long hand to tell o'clock and half past apart: long hand at 12 means o'clock, long hand at 6 means half past. With the short hand pointing at 4, long hand at 12 is 4 o'clock; long hand at 6 is half past 4. Watch the long hand and the two will not be mixed up.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: the minute hand points at 6 and the hour hand stands between 5 and 6. What time is it?
- Look at the long hand first: it points at 6, meaning 30 minutes, which is 'half'.
- Then look at the short hand: it stands between 5 and 6 and has not reached 6 yet.
- Take the smaller number: the short hand is past 5 but before 6, so the hour is 5.
- Put them together: 5:30, read as half past 5.
- Answer: It is half past 5, written 5:30. The long hand at 6 shows that 30 minutes have passed; the short hand stands between 5 and 6, so we take the smaller number 5. Looking at both hands together, the time is 5:30, half past 5.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
✗ Saying half past 6 when the hand is between 5 and 6
✓ Take the smaller number: half past 5
✗ Mixing minute hand at 6 with 12
✓ At 12 is o'clock; at 6 is half past
✗ Thinking half an hour is 60 minutes
✓ Half an hour = 30 minutes; a whole hour = 60
✗ Looking at only one hand
✓ Read both hands: long for minutes, short for hours
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Minute hand at 6 is how many minutes?
Answer: 30
Did you get it right?
Q2How to write half past 4?
Answer: 4:30
Did you get it right?
Q3Hour hand between 8 and 9, minute hand at 6. What time?
Answer: Half past 8
Did you get it right?
Q4How many minutes in half an hour?
Answer: 30
Did you get it right?
Q5At o'clock, where is the minute hand?
Answer: 12
Did you get it right?
8Recap Recap
- Minute hand at 6 = half past (30 min).
- At half past the hour hand is between two numbers.
- Take the smaller number for the hour.
- Write half past as, e.g., 3:30.
- Minute at 12 = o'clock; at 6 = half past.