The Chinese word **半生** is a compound term formed by combining the character **半** (bàn), meaning "half," with **生** (shēng), meaning "life" or "lifetime." It functions as a noun phrase where the modifier **半** quantifies the noun **生**, creating the metaphorical meaning of "half a lifetime." This does not refer to a literal, precise fifty percent of one's years, but rather evokes a substantial yet incomplete portion of a person's life, often carrying connotations of experience, struggle, or a journey that is not yet finished, as seen in common phrases like **半生心血** (the effort of half a lifetime) or **半生不熟** (half-cooked, or metaphorically, inexperienced).