中 - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

See also: 𝌆, Φ, Ф, and ቀ

Stroke order
4 strokes
Stroke order

中 (Kangxi radical 2, 丨+3, 4 strokes, cangjie input 中 (L), four-corner 50006, composition ⿻口丨)

simp. and trad. 中
alternative forms 𠁦𠁧𠁩𠔈𠔗

Wikipedia has articles on:

| | Old Chinese | | | -------------------------------- | --------------------- | | 中 | *tuŋ, *tuŋs | | 忠 | *tuŋ | | 衷 | *tuŋ, *tuŋs | | 忡 | *tʰuŋ | | 浺 | *tʰuŋ | | 盅 | *tʰuŋ, *duŋ, *tjoŋ | | 种 | *duŋ | | 沖 | *duŋ | | 翀 | *duŋ | | 仲 | *duŋs |

Pictogram (象形) – a flagpole. Based on archaeological evidence, the middle box has been interpreted as a drum (建鼓). This flagpole with a drum was placed in the center of a field to gather people and to detect the direction of the wind. In addition, the pronunciation of 中 (OC *tuŋ, *tuŋs) is reminiscent of the beating of a drum.

Shuowen interprets the character as a vertical stroke 丨 passing through the center of 口, indicating the center.

It has also been interpreted as an arrow in the center of a target.

“Middle; centre” (Pronunciation 1) > “to hit the centre; to attain” (Pronunciation 2).

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *t/duŋ. Cognate with Tibetan གཞུང (gzhung, “middle, center”).

Related to:

Note:

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Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 中
Reading # 1/2
ModernBeijing(Pinyin) zhōng
MiddleChinese ‹ trjuwng ›
OldChinese /*truŋ/
English center
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 中
Reading # 1/2
No. 17407
Phoneticcomponent 中
Rimegroup 終
Rimesubdivision 0
CorrespondingMC rime 中
OldChinese /*tuŋ/

中

  1. middle; center
    居中 ― jūzhōng ― to be placed in the middle
    華中／华中 ― Huázhōng ― Central China
  2. medium; intermediary
    中型 ― zhōngxíng ― medium-size; mid-size
    這件夾克有三個尺碼：小、中、大。 [MSC, _trad._]
    这件夹克有三个尺码：小、中、大。 [MSC, _simp._]
    Zhè jiàn jiākè yǒu sān ge chǐmǎ: xiǎo, zhōng, dà. [Pinyin]
    You can get the jacket in three sizes - small, medium and large.
  3. within; among; in
    水中 ― shuǐ zhōng ― in the water
    我們中間有一個15歲的女孩。 [MSC, _trad._]
    我们中间有一个15岁的女孩。 [MSC, _simp._]
    Wǒmen zhōngjiān yǒu yīge 15 suì de nǚhái. [Pinyin]
    A 15-year-old girl was among us.
    他在事故中受傷。 [MSC, _trad._]
    他在事故中受伤。 [MSC, _simp._]
    Tā zài shìgù zhōng shòushāng. [Pinyin]
    He was injured in the accident.
  4. while; in the process of; during; in the middle of
    發展中國家／发展中国家 ― fāzhǎn zhōng guójiā ― developing countries
    網頁正在建設中。 [MSC, _trad._]
    网页正在建设中。 [MSC, _simp._]
    Wǎngyè zhèngzài jiànshè zhōng. [Pinyin]
    The website is under construction.
  5. to be fit for
    中用 ― zhōngyòng ― to be useful
    中聽／中听 ― zhōngtīng ― pleasant to the ear
  6. heart; innermost being
  7. intermediary
  8. (dialectal) all right; OK
  9. (Cantonese) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{[rfdef](/wiki/Template:rfdef#top "Template:rfdef")}}.
    五四中二十 [Cantonese] ― ng5 sei3 zung1 ji6 sap6 [Jyutping] ― five time four equals twenty
  10. Short for 中國／中国 (Zhōngguó, “China; Chinese”).
    中醫／中医 ― zhōngyī ― traditional Chinese medicine
    中美關係／中美关系 ― Zhōng Měi guānxì ― China–United States relation
  1. Short for 中學／中学 (zhōngxué, “middle school”). Used only in the abbreviation of the name.
    三中 ― Sān Zhōng ― No.3 Middle School
  2. 1st tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "the center" (𝌆)
  3. a surname

Note:

Note:

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 中
Reading # 2/2
ModernBeijing(Pinyin) zhòng
MiddleChinese ‹ trjuwngH ›
OldChinese /*truŋ-s/
English hit the center
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 中
Reading # 2/2
No. 17410
Phoneticcomponent 中
Rimegroup 終
Rimesubdivision 0
CorrespondingMC rime 中
OldChinese /*tuŋs/

中

  1. to hit the mark; to be correct; to be successful
    導彈成功擊中目標。 [MSC, _trad._]
    导弹成功击中目标。 [MSC, _simp._]
    Dǎodàn chénggōng jī zhòng mùbiāo. [Pinyin]
    The missile successfully hit the target.
    真讓他說中了。 [MSC, _trad._]
    真让他说中了。 [MSC, _simp._]
    Zhēn ràng tā shuō zhòng le. [Pinyin]
    He turns out to be correct.
  2. to be hit by; to suffer; to be affected by
    中暑 ― zhòngshǔ ― to suffer a heat stroke
    他試圖爬走時肩膀中槍了。 [MSC, _trad._]
    他试图爬走时肩膀中枪了。 [MSC, _simp._]
    Tā shìtú pá zǒu shí jiānbǎng zhòngqiāng le. [Pinyin]
    As he tried to crawl away, he was hit in the shoulder.
    他中了肺炎。 ― Tā zhòng le fèiyán. ― He has contracted pneumonia.
  3. to win (a prize, a lottery)
    中樂透／中乐透 ― zhòng lètòu ― win a lottery
    中咗六合彩 [Cantonese] ― zung3 zo2 luk6 hap6 coi2 [Jyutping] ― won the lottery

Others:

中

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

Compounds

Kanji in this term
中
ちゅうGrade: 1
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 中 (MC trjuwng).

中(ちゅう) • (chū)

  1. the middle, medium
    大(だい)中(ちゅう)小(しょう) ― dai chū shō ― large, medium and small
  2. an average, neither good nor poor mark
    中(ちゅう)の出(で)来(き)映(ば)え ― chū no dekibae ― an average performance
  3. the second volume of a three-volume set

中(ちゅう) • (chū)

  1. center, middle
  2. medium, intermediate, middle(-level)
  3. neutral, middle
  4. within (a specific range)
  5. among (friends, company, etc.)
  6. hitting (the center, mark, etc.)
  7. Short for 中国 (Chūgoku): China, Chinese
    日(にっ)中(ちゅう)関(かん)係(けい) ― Ni'chū kankei ― Sino-Japanese relations
  8. Short for 中学生 (chūgakusei): junior high school student

中(ちゅう) • (-chū)

  1. during..., being in the process of doing...
    ダウンロード中(ちゅう) ― daunrōdo-chū ― downloading; download in progress
    メンテ中(ちゅう) ― mente-chū ― currently in maintenance
    インストール中(ちゅう) ― insutōru-chū ― installing
    準備(じゅんび)中(ちゅう) ― junbichū ― currently in preparation
Kanji in this term
中
じゅうGrade: 1
on'yomi

The rendaku (連濁) form of chū above.

中(じゅう) • (-jū) ←**ぢゆう** (-dyuu)?

  1. during, in the course of, throughout
    世(せ)界(かい)中(じゅう) ― sekaijū ― throughout the world
    体(からだ)中(じゅう) ― karadajū ― throughout the body
  2. all over, everywhere

The distinction between the suffixes じゅう (-jū) and ちゅう (-chū) can be confusing: じゅう (-jū) means throughout, in all places, as in 一日中 (ichinichijū, “all day long”) or 体中 (karadajū, “throughout the body”), while ちゅう (-chū) means within, but not everywhere, as in 授業中 (jugyōchū, “in class, during class”). Contrast in “I worked on this _all day long_” with “I worked on this in class (but not necessarily for the entire time)”.

Kanji in this term
中
なかGrade: 1
kun'yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 中 – see the following entry.
(This term, 中, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
Kanji in this term
中
うちGrade: 1
kun'yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 中 – see the following entry.
(This term, 中, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)
Kanji in this term
中
ちゅんGrade: 1
irregular

Borrowing from Mandarin 中 (zhōng).

中(チュン) • (chun)

  1. (mahjong) Short for 紅中 (honchun): a red dragon tile
  2. (mahjong) a 役 (yaku, “winning hand combination”) with a meld of red dragon tiles, worth 1 翻 (han, “double”)
    Hypernym: 役牌 (yakuhai, yakupai)

Various nanori readings.

中(あたり) • (Atari)

  1. a surname

中(あたる) • (Ataru)

  1. a female given name

中(なかば) • (Nakaba)

  1. a surname

  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

  3. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

From Middle Chinese 中 (MC trjuwng).

Historical Readings
Dongguk Jeongun Reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 듀ᇰ (Yale: tyùng)
Middle Korean
Text Eumhun
Gloss (hun) Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[1] 가온〮ᄃᆡᆺ (Yale: kàwóntòy-s) 듀ᇰ (Yale: tyùng)

Wikisource

中 (eumhun 가운데 중 (gaunde jung))

  1. Hanja form? of 중 (“average (grade or class)”).
  2. Hanja form? of 중 (“middle; medium”).
  3. Hanja form? of 중 (“amongst”).
  4. Hanja form? of 중 (“in the course of; during”).
  5. Hanja form? of 중 (“China (in compounds or in news media)”).

Compounds

Hanja in this term
中

中 • (Jung) (hangeul 중)

  1. (in news headlines) Short for 中(중)國(국) (Jungguk, “China”).
    韓·中 관계 ― Han·Jung gwangye ― South Korea – China relations

In news headlines, this is usually written solely in the hanja form, even in contemporary Korean text otherwise devoid of any hanja.

中 (*-kuy, *-huy)

  1. in; at; amid (locative case marker, attested in isolation only before the eleventh century)
    • c. 690, 得烏 (Deugo), “慕竹旨郞歌 (Mojukjirang-ga)”, in 三國遺事 (Samguk Yusa):
      蓬次叱巷中宿尸夜音
      TAPWOco-s KWULHE-kuy CA-l PAm
      nights where you will sleep in a village of mugwort plants
    • c. 740, 忠談師 (Chungdamsa), “讚耆婆郞歌 (Changiparang-ga)”, in 三國遺事 (Samguk Yusa):
      川理叱磧惡希
      NAri-s COPYek-huy
      by the pebbles of the stream
    • c. 965, 均如 (Gyunyeo), “常隨彿學歌 (Sangsubulhak-ga)”, in 均如傳 (Gyunyeo-jeon):
      命乙施好尸歲史中置
      MYENG-ur SI-hwo-l SOsi-kuy-two
      even in the age that I cast my life away

Reconstruction notes

[edit]

中: Hán Việt readings: trung (陟(trắc)弓(cung)切(thiết))[1][2][3][4][5], trúng[1][2][3][4][5]
中: Nôm readings: trúng[1][2][3][4][6], trong[1][2][3][7], trung[1][2][4][6], truồng[3][4][5][6], đúng[3], truông[7]

  1. Chữ Hán form of trung (“middle”).

  2. Chữ Hán form of Trung (“Sino-”).

  3. Chữ Hán form of trúng (“to hit”).

  4. Nôm form of trong (“in; inside; within”).

  5. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Nguyễn (2014).

  6. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Nguyễn et al. (2009).

  7. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Trần (2004).

  8. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Bonet (1899).

  9. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Génibrel (1898).

  10. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).

  11. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hồ (1976).