half-past

IPA/hˈɑːfpˈast/
IPA/hˈæfpˈæst/

half-past — idiom

1. the way to say the time on a clock when the minute hand has moved exactly thirty

1.idiomA1
Definition

the way to say the time on a clock when the minute hand has moved exactly thirty minutes beyond the top of the hour — for example, saying 'half past ten' tells someone it is 10:30.

Example

The train to Brighton leaves at half past ten in the morning.

half past + hour + time-of-day modifier

Adaeze promised to meet me at half past two outside the library.

Common collocations
  • half past [hour number]
  • at half past
  • by half past
  • until half past
  • half past one/two/three/four/five/six/seven/eight/nine/ten/eleven/twelve
Synonyms
  • half after

    American English alternative ('half after seven' for 7:30) — less common than 'half past' in the UK

  • half seven

    British informal abbreviation ('half seven' = 7:30); common in casual speech

  • thirty past

    rare in everyday speech; used mainly in formal radio or TV time announcements

Antonyms
  • o'clock

    refers to an exact hour on the clock (e.g., 'four o'clock' = 4:00), not thirty minutes past it

  • quarter past

    fifteen minutes (not thirty) past the hour

  • quarter to

    fifteen minutes before the next hour

Grammar Patterns

half past + [hour]

Usage Note

Always followed by an hour number — 'half past' alone is incomplete. The hour can be any number from one to twelve. For times in the 24-hour system, use 'thirty' instead (e.g., 'fifteen thirty' for 15:30). In informal British speech, people sometimes drop 'past' and say 'half seven' (meaning 7:30), but learners should master the full 'half past [hour]' form first.

Common Mistakes

I will meet you at half past.
I will meet you at half past four.
'half past' must always be followed by a specific hour number.
half past seven a.m.
half past seven in the morning
use 'in the morning / in the afternoon / at night' rather than 'a.m./p.m.' with 'half past'.
half past to seven
half past seven
'past' already contains the direction; do not add 'to'.
half past seven o'clock
half past seven
do not add 'o'clock' after 'half past'.

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinFrenchEnglish

'Half' comes from Old English 'healf', meaning one of two equal parts. 'Past' traces through French 'passer' from Latin 'passus', meaning 'to go by' or 'beyond'. The compound 'half past' emerged in the 16th century as clocks became part of daily life — people described the time as 'halfway past the hour'.