中 zhōng — middle; center; China; in
老师站在教室中间给大家讲故事。Lǎo shī zhàn zài jiào shì zhōng jiān gěi dà jiā jiǎng gù shì.The teacher stands in the middle of the classroom and tells everyone a story.
Common words: 中间 (zhōng jiān)、中午 (zhōng wǔ)、中学 (zhōng xué)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "center"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "center", including 中 (zhōng), 央 (yāng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "center" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 中 (zhōng), 央 (yāng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zhōng, yāng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 中 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 中 zhōngmiddle; center; China; inUseful words: 中间, 中午
- 央 yāngbeg; centerUseful words: 中央, 央人
Common words for these 2 "center" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 中 (zhōng) — so "center" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "center".
央 yāng — beg; center
教室的中央挂着一张地图。Jiào shì de zhōng yāng guà zhe yì zhāng dì tú.A map hangs in the center of the classroom.
Common words: 中央 (zhōng yāng)、央人 (yāng rén)、央中 (yāng zhōng)
All 2 characters
Open 中、央 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.