中

See also: 𝌆, Φ, Ф, and ቀ
中 U+4E2D, 中
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E2D
← 丬
[U+4E2C] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 丮 →
[U+4E2E]

Translingual
Stroke order
4 strokes
Stroke order

Han character

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

Derived characters

References
  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 79, character 3
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 73
  • Dae Jaweon: page 158, character 6
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 28, character 10
  • Unihan data for U+4E2D

Chinese
simp. and trad.
 中
alternative forms 𠁦
𠁧
𠁩
𠔈
𠔗

Glyph origin
Historical forms of the character 中
Shang Western Zhou Spring and Autumn Warring States Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming) Libian (compiled in Qing)
Bronze inscriptions Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Bronze inscriptions Bronze inscriptions Chu slip and silk script Qin slip script Shizhoupian script Ancient script Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts Clerical script
Oracle bone script

j00886

j00887

j00888

j00889

j00890

j00891

j00892

j00893

j00894

j00895

j00896

j00897

j00898

j00899

j00900

j00901

j00902

j00903

j00904

j00905

j00906

j00907

j00908

j00909

j00910

j00911

j00912

j00913

j00914

j00915

j00916

j00917

j00918

j00919

Bronze inscriptions

b00634

b00635

b00636

b00637

b00638

b00639

b00640

b00641

b00642

b00643

b00644

b00645

b00646

b00647

b00648

b00649

b00650

b00651

b00652

b00653

b00654

b00655

b00656

b00657

b00658

b00659

b00660

b00661

b00662

b00663

b00664

b00665

b00666

b00667

b00668

b00669

b00670

b00671

b00672

b00673

b00674

b00675

b00676

b00677

b00678

b00679

Small seal script

s00273

s00274

s00275

References:

Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including:

  • Shuowen Jiezi (small seal),
  • Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions),
  • Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and
  • Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).
Characters in the same phonetic series (中) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
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.

Etymology

“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:

  • 衷 (OC *tuŋ, *tuŋs, “middle; inner garment; inner feelings”);
  • 仲 (OC *duŋs, “second (of the brothers or months)”).

Pronunciation 1

Note:
  • chûng, zung1 - literary;
  • tûng, dung4 - vernacular.
  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 中
Mandarin Beijing /ʈ͡ʂuŋ⁵⁵/
Harbin /ʈ͡ʂuŋ⁴⁴/
Tianjin /t͡suŋ²¹/
Jinan /ʈ͡ʂuŋ²¹³/
Qingdao /ʈ͡ʂəŋ²¹³/
Zhengzhou /ʈ͡ʂuŋ²⁴/
Xi'an /p͡fəŋ²¹/
Xining /ʈ͡ʂuə̃⁴⁴/
Yinchuan /ʈ͡ʂuŋ⁴⁴/
Lanzhou /p͡fə̃n³¹/
Ürümqi /ʈ͡ʂuŋ⁴⁴/
Wuhan /t͡soŋ⁵⁵/
Chengdu /t͡soŋ⁵⁵/
Guiyang /t͡soŋ⁵⁵/
Kunming /ʈ͡ʂoŋ⁴⁴/
Nanjing /ʈ͡ʂoŋ³¹/
Hefei /ʈ͡ʂəŋ²¹/
Jin Taiyuan /t͡suəŋ¹¹/
Pingyao /t͡suŋ¹³/
Hohhot /t͡sũŋ³¹/
Wu Shanghai /t͡soŋ⁵³/
Suzhou /t͡soŋ⁵⁵/
Hangzhou /t͡soŋ³³/
Wenzhou /t͡ɕoŋ³³/
Hui Shexian /t͡sʌ̃³¹/
Tunxi /t͡san¹¹/
Xiang Changsha /ʈ͡ʂoŋ³³/
Xiangtan /ʈ͡ʂən³³/
Gan Nanchang /t͡suŋ⁴²/
Hakka Meixian /tuŋ⁴⁴/ ～心
/t͡suŋ⁴⁴/ ～間
Taoyuan /tuŋ²⁴/
Cantonese Guangzhou /t͡soŋ⁵³/
Nanning /t͡suŋ⁵⁵/
Hong Kong /t͡suŋ⁵⁵/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /tiɔŋ⁵⁵/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /tyŋ⁴⁴/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /tœyŋ⁵⁴/
/tœyŋ³³/ ～奬
Shantou (Teochew) /toŋ³³/
/taŋ³³/
Haikou (Hainanese) /toŋ²³/
Rime
Character 中
Reading # 1/2
Initial (聲) 知 (9)
Final (韻) 東 (2)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 陟弓切
Baxter trjuwng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang		 /ʈɨuŋ/
Pan
Wuyun		 /ʈiuŋ/
Shao
Rongfen		 /ȶiuŋ/
Edwin
Pulleyblank		 /ʈuwŋ/
Li
Rong		 /ȶiuŋ/
Wang
Li		 /ȶĭuŋ/
Bernard
Karlgren		 /ȶi̯uŋ/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex		 zhōng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex		 zung1
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 中
Reading # 1/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)		 zhōng
Middle
Chinese		 ‹ trjuwng ›
Old
Chinese		 /*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
Phonetic
component		 中
Rime
group		 終
Rime
subdivision		 0
Corresponding
MC rime		 中
Old
Chinese		 /*tuŋ/

Definitions

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}}.
    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
  11. 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
  12. 1st tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "the center" (𝌆)
  13. a surname

Synonyms
  • (China):

Compounds

Pronunciation 2

Note:
  • tiòng - literary;
  • tèng - vernacular;
  • thàng - vernacular (limited).
    Note:
    • dong3 - literary;
    • dêng3 - vernacular.
      • Wu
        • (Shanghai, Suzhou)
          • Wugniu: 5tson
          • MiniDict: tson去
          • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): 2tson
          • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡soŋ³⁴/
          • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /t͡soŋ⁵²³/
      • Xiang
        • (Changsha)
          • Wiktionary: zhong4
          • Sinological IPA (key) (old-style): /ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁴⁵/
          • Sinological IPA (key) (new-style): /t͡sən⁴⁵/
Rime
Character 中
Reading # 2/2
Initial (聲) 知 (9)
Final (韻) 東 (2)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) III
Fanqie 陟仲切
Baxter trjuwngH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang		 /ʈɨuŋH/
Pan
Wuyun		 /ʈiuŋH/
Shao
Rongfen		 /ȶiuŋH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank		 /ʈuwŋH/
Li
Rong		 /ȶiuŋH/
Wang
Li		 /ȶĭuŋH/
Bernard
Karlgren		 /ȶi̯uŋH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex		 zhòng
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex		 zung3
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 中
Reading # 2/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin)		 zhòng
Middle
Chinese		 ‹ trjuwngH ›
Old
Chinese		 /*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
Phonetic
component		 中
Rime
group		 終
Rime
subdivision		 0
Corresponding
MC rime		 中
Old
Chinese		 /*tuŋs/

Definitions

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
Synonyms
  • (Singapore Hokkien) 著 (tio̍h)

Compounds

Descendants
Sino-Xenic (中):

Others:

Japanese

Kanji
中

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

Readings

Compounds
Compounds

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

From Middle Chinese 中 (MC trjuwng).

Pronunciation

Noun

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
Derived terms

Affix

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
Derived terms
Derived terms

Suffix

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
Derived terms
Derived terms

Etymology 2
Kanji in this term
中
じゅう
Grade: 1
on’yomi

The

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sort=しゆう'
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rendaku (連濁) form of chū above.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [d͡ʑɨᵝː]

Suffix

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
Usage notes

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)”.

Derived terms

Etymology 3
Kanji in this term
中
なか
Grade: 1
kun’yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 中 – see the following entry.
【なか】
[noun] 中: inside
[noun] 中: middle
[noun] 中: among (a group or mass)
[noun] 中: during (time); amidst
(This term, 中, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 4
Kanji in this term
中
うち
Grade: 1
kun’yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 中 – see the following entry.
【内うち】2
[noun] the inside, within (a physical location)
[noun] something between, among
[noun] something while, during, inside or within a span of time
[noun] (when used possessively) one’s own, my, our
[noun] This term needs a translation to English.
[pronoun] (informal, women's speech) I, me
(This term, 中, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 5
Kanji in this term
中
ちゅん
Grade: 1
irregular

Borrowing from Mandarin 中 (zhōng).

Pronunciation
  • (Tokyo) チュン [chùń] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA(key): [t͡ɕɨ̃ᵝɴ]

Noun

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)

See also

Etymology 6

Various nanori readings.

Proper noun

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

References
  1. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 中 (MC trjuwng).

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

Pronunciation

Hanja

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
Compounds

Proper noun
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

Usage notes

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

References
  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Old Korean

Alternative forms
  • 希 (*-huy) (probably represents lenition of initial *k)

Particle

中 (*-kuy, *-huy)

  1. in; at; amid (locative case marker, attested in isolation only before the eleventh century)

Reconstruction notes
  • Conventionally reconstructed as *-kuy because Idu manuals in Han'gul read this character as 희 (-huy), which is believed to reflect an ancient reading tradition. Middle Korean intervocalic /h/ is usually lenited from Old Korean */k/ based on internal and dialectal reconstruction. The non-lenited form also survives directly in pronouns: 이ᅌᅥ긔〮 (ìngèkúy, “here”), 뎌ᇰ어긔〮 (tyèngèkúy, “there”), etc.
  • Assumed to be a logogram borrowed from Chinese, as no Chinese reading or native Korean equivalent of 中 whose phonology is even remotely similar to *kuy is known. The Chinese word often bears a locative meaning as well, and there is a certain parallel in the Vietnamese Nôm use of the same character to write the native preposition trong (“in; inside”).
  • First-millennium Old Korean also featured the locative particle 良 (*-a). The two particles were compounded as 良中 (*-a-kuy) as early as the seventh century. The compounded form becomes predominant in the corpus after the eleventh century, after which 中 *-kuy in isolation is rarely encountered (although a likely Middle Korean reflex is attested in Hangul form as late as the fifteenth century). The compounded form eventually fused into a single morpheme, becoming the Middle Korean locative particle 에〮/애〮 (-éy/áy).
  • At some point, perhaps even before widespread compounding, */k/ was lenited to */h/. Lenition may have begun as early as the eighth century, given the attestation of the 希 form in the poem 讚耆婆郞歌 Changiparang-ga, whose claimed date of composition is 740.
  • Nam Pung-hyun suggests that 矣 (*-uy), another apparent locative particle attested in the Old Korean corpus, should be connected to 中 (*-kuy.) He classifies both as "uy-type locatives", in contrast to 良 (*-a) as an "a-type locative", and speculates that the uy-type locatives were reserved for animate beings while 良 could be used indiscriminately.

Descendants
  • Old Korean: 良中 (*-akuy) (compounded with 良 (*-a))
    • Middle Korean: 에〮 (-éy)
      • Korean: 에 (-e)
  • Middle Korean: 희 (-huy) (rare)

See also
  • 良 (*-a) (locative case marker)
  • 矣 (*-uy) (locative case marker)
  • 良中 (*-akuy) (locative case marker predominant after the eleventh century)

References
  • 배대은 [baedaeeun] (1996) “이두 처격조사의 통시적 고찰 [idu cheogyeokjosaui tongsijeok gochal, A diachronic study of locative case markers in Idu]”, in Baedalmal, volume 21, pages 139–156
  • 이승재 [iseungjae] (2000) “차자표기 자료의 격조사 연구 [chajapyogi jaryoui gyeokjosa yeon'gu, Study of case markers in the Chinese-based orthography [of Korean]]”, in Gugeo Gukmunhak, volume 127, pages 107–132
  • Hwang Seon-yeop (2006). "Godae gugeo-ui cheogyeok josa" 고대국어의 처격조사] ["The locative case markers of Old Korean"]. Hanmal Yeon'gu Hakhoe Jeon'guk Haksul Daehoe (conference). Seongnam, South Korea. pp. 35–48.
  • Nam Pung-hyun (2012) “Old Korean”, in Tranter, Nicolas, editor, The Languages of Japan and Korea, Routledge, →ISBN, pages 41–72

Vietnamese

Han character

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”).

Compounds
Compounds

References
  1. Nguyễn (2014).
  2. Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. Trần (2004).
  4. Bonet (1899).
  5. Génibrel (1898).
  6. Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
  7. Hồ (1976).
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