中


This kanji, meaning middle or inside, is often also used as shorthand for the Middle Kingdom, China.

on readings:
  • chu
kun readings:
  • naka
examples:
中風 chūbū paralysis, palsy
中毒 chūdoku poisoning
中学 chūgaku middle school
中旬 chūjun middle 10 days of a month (11th - 20th)
中巻 chūkan middle volume
中堅 chūken mainstay, backbone, nucleus
中央 chūō center
中世史 chūsei shi medieval history
中傷 chūshō slander
中小企業 chūshō kigyō small and medium size enterprises
五里霧中 gori-muchū in a fog, mystified
一日中 ichinichijū all day ong
自己中心 jiko chūshin egocentric
町中 machinaka in the town
中 naka inside
中川 Nakagawa Japanese surname
中身 nakami contents
中々 nakanaka quite
日本中 Nihonjū all over Japan
日本中 Nipponjū all over Japan
日中 nitchū during the daytime
日中 Nit-Chū Sino-Japanese
背中 senaka the back
試合中 shiaichuu during a game
掌中 shōchū pocket edition, in the hand
掌中の玉 shōchū no tama apple of one's eye, one's jewel
集中 shūchū concentrating
田中明様 Tanaka Akira sama Mr. Akira Tanaka
山中湖 Yamanaka-ko Lake Yamanaka (near Mount Fuji)

links:
Lake Yamanaka
Wiktionary
72 Seasons blog
Japanese homepage | top

Last Alteration Performed: 28 August 2026 by Bradley James Wogsland.