The presence of directed localized cation-anion interactions in the semihydrate of 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine (melamine) dodecahydro-closo-dodecaborate (C3H6N6H)(2)B12H12 <bold> </bold>0.5H(2)O is discovered by means of IR and NMR-spectroscopy (B-11, H-1, C, N). The hypothesis that melamine protonation proceeds on the ring atom of nitrogen is confirmed via quantum-chemical calculations.