中

2 readings · tap one to hear it

within; among; in; middle; center; while (doing sth); during; (dialect) OK; all right

Sound it out + = · + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

A line 丨 through the center of a box 口

Components 口丨

middle · Heisig RSH #38

walking stick + 口 mouth

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
中国	Zhōng guó	China
中学	zhōng xué	middle school
中学生	zhōng xué shēng	middle-school student; high school student
中文	Zhōng wén	Chinese language
中间	zhōng jiān	the middle; the inside; in the middle; within; between; among; during; in the meantime
中午	zhōng wǔ	noon; midday; CL:個\|个[ge4]
中国人大	Zhōng guó rén dà	China National People's Congress
中子	zhōng zǐ	neutron
中人	zhōng rén	go-between; mediator; intermediary
人中	rén zhōng	philtrum; infranasal depression; the "human center" acupuncture point
中国人	Zhōng guó rén	Chinese person
中山区	Zhōng shān Qū	Zhongshan or Chungshan District of Taipei City 臺北市\|台北市[Tai2 bei3 Shi4], Taiwan; Zhongshan …
中区	zhōng qū	central district (of a city); central zone
市中区	Shì zhōng Qū	Shizhong, a district of Jinan City 濟南市\|济南市[Ji3 nan2 Shi4], Shandong; Shizhong, a district …
市中区	shì zhōng qū	central city district
中山大学	Zhōng shān Dà xué	Sun Yat-sen University (Guangzhou); Sun Yat-sen University (Kaohsiung); Sun Yat-sen Univer…
中山	Zhōng shān	see 中山市[Zhong1 shan1 Shi4]; see 中山區\|中山区[Zhong1 shan1 Qu1]; Nakayama (Japanese surname); se…
国中	guó zhōng	junior high school (Tw); abbr. for 國民中學\|国民中学[guo2 min2 zhong1 xue2]
中山市	Zhōng shān Shì	Zhongshan, prefecture-level city in Guangdong Province 廣東省\|广东省[Guang3 dong1 Sheng3]
中心区	zhōng xīn qū	central district

These characters use 中 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
中 sound part	zhōng	central; center, middle; amidst; to hit (target), to attain; China; Chinese
虫	chóng	insect, worm; mollusk
种	zhǒng	race, kind, breed; seed; to plant
冲	chōng	wash, rinse, flush; dash; soar
钟	zhōng	clock; bell
忠	zhōng	loyalty, devotion, fidelity
肿	zhǒng	swelling; swollen; to swell
盅	zhōng	small cup or bowl
忡	chōng	sad, grieving; distressed, uneasy