Meaning of 中央
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- central
- middle
- center
- central authorities (of a state)
How to use 中央
中央 is used for a physical center, such as the middle of a square or room, and very often for central government bodies. Example: 广场中央有一座雕像。(Guǎngchǎng zhōngyāng yǒu yí zuò diāoxiàng.) There is a statue in the center of the square.
中 (zhōng) shows a line passing straight through the middle of a box, and 央 (yāng) also means center. Two "middle" characters together give you the very center, like the heart of a city or the core of a government.
Common mistake: Learners often use 中央 where everyday speech needs 中间 (zhōngjiān). 中间 is the normal word for "between" or "in the middle" of people or things, while 中央 sounds formal and points to the exact center or to central authorities.
中央 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
央 yāng · central · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 中央.
| 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 中央
What does 中央 mean?
中央 (zhōngyāng) means "central; middle" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 中央?
中央 is made of 2 characters: 中 (4 strokes), 央 (5 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 中央 an HSK word?
Yes. 中央 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 中央 mean in names like 中央电视台?
Here 中央 means "central" in the sense of the national government level. 中央电视台 (Zhōngyāng Diànshìtái) is China Central Television, often shortened to CCTV.
Can I say 中央 for "downtown"?
Usually not. For downtown or city center, Chinese speakers say 市中心 (shì zhōngxīn). 中央 describes the exact middle of a space or central authorities, not a commercial district.