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中zhōngwithin; among; in

HSK 3word

By Chinese Copilot · Last updated

中 (zhōng) means "within," "among," or "in," and also "middle" or "center." After an activity it can mean "while" or "in the middle of doing" something. As a bound form in compounds it contributes China/Chinese, as in 中国. This entry does not cover the tone-4 verb meaning "to hit a target."

What does 中 mean?

  1. 1.

    within; among; innoun

  2. 2.

    middle; centernoun

  3. 3.

    (bound form) China; Chinesenoun

What does the character 中 mean?

  • 中within; among; in

How do you use 中?

中 often follows a place or activity for "in / among / during"; the China/Chinese sense is bound in compounds such as 中国, not a freestanding country name by itself.

Patterns

  • 在 + Place/Activity + 中

    他在工作中。

    Tā zài gōngzuò zhōng.

    He is in the middle of work.

  • Activity + 中

    学习中不要玩。

    Xuéxí zhōng bú yào wán.

    Don't play while studying.

What are some examples of 中 in a sentence?

  1. HSK 1

    他在工作中。

    Tā zài gōngzuò zhōng.

    He is at work / in the middle of work.

  2. HSK 2

    在朋友中，他最高。

    Zài péngyou zhōng, tā zuì gāo.

    Among (his) friends, he is the tallest.

  3. HSK 1

    学习中不要玩。

    Xuéxí zhōng búyào wán.

    Don't play while studying.

  4. HSK 1

    他喜欢中国。

    Tā xǐhuan Zhōngguó.

    He likes China.

How is 中 used in a conversation?

  1. Speaker A:

    他在做什么？

    Tā zài zuò shénme?

    What is he doing?

  2. Speaker B:

    他在工作中。

    Tā zài gōngzuò zhōng.

    He is in the middle of work.

  3. Speaker A:

    学习中可以玩吗？

    Xuéxí zhōng kěyǐ wán ma?

    Can we play while studying?

  4. Speaker B:

    学习中不要玩。

    Xuéxí zhōng búyào wán.

    Don't play while studying.

  5. Speaker A:

    他喜欢中国吗？

    Tā xǐhuan Zhōngguó ma?

    Does he like China?

  6. Speaker B:

    对，他喜欢中国。

    Duì, tā xǐhuan Zhōngguó.

    Yes, he likes China.

Can you use 中 correctly?

0 of 3 answered
  1. 1.Fill in the blank: 他在工作___。
  2. 2.Which means "Don't play while studying"?
  3. 3.In 中国, 中 is best described as:

What should you learn next?

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English glosses on this page are adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG (snapshot 2026-10-23), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Glosses were edited for learners.