Meaning of 当中
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- among
- in the middle
- in the center
How to use 当中
当中 usually comes after a noun to mean "among" or "in the middle of" a group, a time, or an activity. It is common in both speech and writing. Example: 我们当中谁会说日语？(Wǒmen dāngzhōng shéi huì shuō Rìyǔ?) Who among us can speak Japanese?
当 (dāng) means to be right at a spot, and 中 (zhōng) shows a line going straight through the center of a box. Put them together and you are standing right in the middle of something.
Common mistake: Learners often read 当 here as dàng with the fourth tone, but in 当中 it is first tone, dāng. Another trap is putting 当中 before the noun like English "among". Chinese says 学生当中 (xuéshēng dāngzhōng), not 当中学生.
当中 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.
当 dāng · to be · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
中 zhōng · within · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 当中.
| 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 |
| 当时 | dāngshí | then; at that time |
| 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 |
Questions about 当中
What does 当中 mean?
当中 (dāngzhōng) means "among; in the middle" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 当中?
当中 is made of 2 characters: 当 (6 strokes), 中 (4 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 当中 an HSK word?
Yes. 当中 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 当中 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 当中 is written 當中.
What is the difference between 当中 and 中间?
Both can mean "among" or "in the middle". 中间 (zhōngjiān) is more often used for physical position, like the middle of a room or between two things. 当中 is more often used for being among a group of people or in the course of an activity or period.
Can 当中 be used with time or activities?
Yes. You can say 学习当中 (xuéxí dāngzhōng) for "in the course of studying" or 一年当中 (yì nián dāngzhōng) for "within a year". It works much like 之中 (zhī zhōng) or 中 placed after the noun.