half past — Definition, Formula & Examples
Half past means 30 minutes after the hour. When someone says "half past 3," they mean 3:30 — the minute hand has traveled halfway around the clock face.
"Half past" denotes the time point exactly 30 minutes into a given hour, corresponding to the minute hand pointing at the 6 on an analog clock. It is equivalent to writing the hour followed by :30 in digital notation.
How It Works
An hour contains 60 minutes, so half of an hour is 30 minutes. On an analog clock, the minute hand starts at the 12 and sweeps all the way around in one hour. At half past, it has completed half that sweep and points straight down at the 6. The hour hand, meanwhile, sits halfway between the current hour number and the next one. For example, at half past 8 the hour hand is between the 8 and the 9.
Worked Example
Problem: A clock shows the minute hand on the 6 and the hour hand between the 10 and 11. What time is it?
Read the minute hand: The minute hand points to the 6, which represents 30 minutes past the hour.
Read the hour hand: The hour hand is between 10 and 11, meaning the current hour is still 10.
Combine: Put the hour and minutes together to get the time.
Answer: The time is half past 10, or 10:30.
Why It Matters
Reading "half past" on an analog clock is a foundational skill tested in early elementary math. It also builds understanding of fractions — recognizing that 30 minutes is one-half of 60 prepares students for fraction concepts they will meet in later grades.
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Reading the hour hand as the next hour because it has moved past the printed number.
Correction: At half past, the hour hand sits between two numbers. Always use the smaller number as the current hour. At half past 4, the hour hand is between 4 and 5 — the time is 4:30, not 5:30.