Meaning of 中
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- within; among; in
- middle; center
- while (doing sth); during
- (dialect) OK; all right
- (bound form) China; Chinese
- surname Zhong
- to hit (a target)
- to be struck by (a bullet, illness etc)
- to win (a prize or lottery)
How to use 中
中 (zhōng) appears in many basic words such as 中国 (Zhōngguó, China), 中午 (zhōngwǔ, noon) and 中文 (Zhōngwén, Chinese language). It also follows a noun to mean "in" or "among", as in 我在学习中 (wǒ zài xuéxí zhōng, I am in the middle of studying). Example: 我会说一点儿中文。(Wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎnr Zhōngwén.) I can speak a little Chinese.
The shape of 中 (zhōng) is a box with one line running straight through its center. Picture an arrow piercing the exact middle of a target, which fits both "middle" and the zhòng sense of hitting a target.
Common mistake: Learners often read every 中 as first tone, but it is fourth tone zhòng when it means to hit or win, as in 中奖 (zhòngjiǎng, to win a prize). The vertical stroke is also written last and goes all the way through the box, not stopping inside it.
中 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
中 zhōng · within · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 中.
| 中国 | Zhōngguó | China |
| 中间 | zhōngjiān | the middle; the inside; in the middle; within; between; among |
| 中午 | zhōngwǔ | noon; midday |
| 中学 | zhōngxué | middle school |
| 中文 | Zhōngwén | Chinese language |
| 中学生 | zhōngxuéshēng | middle-school student; high school student |
| 其中 | qízhōng | among; in |
| 中心 | zhōngxīn | center; heart; core |
| 高中 | gāozhōng | senior high school (abbr. for 高級中學|高级中学[gao1 ji2 zhong1 xue2]) |
| 心中 | xīnzhōng | central point; in one's thoughts |
| 中年 | zhōngnián | middle age |
| 中餐 | zhōngcān | lunch; Chinese meal; Chinese food |
Questions about 中
What does 中 mean?
中 (zhōng) means "within; among; in; middle; center" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 中?
中 is made of 1 character: 中 (4 strokes). That is 4 strokes in total.
Is 中 an HSK word?
Yes. 中 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do I say "in the middle of doing something" with 中?
Put 中 after a verb or activity, often with 在 before it, for example 在讨论中 (zài tǎolùn zhōng, under discussion). This sense means "while" or "during" a process.
What does 中 mean when people say it alone in conversation?
In some northern dialects, especially Henan, people say 中 (zhōng) to mean "OK" or "all right". You may hear it in casual speech, but standard Mandarin uses 好 (hǎo) or 行 (xíng) instead.