中 is the character for “middle”. It is made out of 4 strokes.
| Chinese Character | Simplified Version | Bopomofo | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 中 | 中 | ㄓㄨㄥ | zhōng |
Definition
Middle; center; while (doing sth); during; within; among; in; China; Chinese
Historical Origins
The origins of this character are often interpreted as an arrow in the center of a target, which actually makes it very easy to memorize. However, looking at the oracle bone script and based on archaeological evidence, the character actually represents a flagpole with the middle box being a drum. This flagpole with a drum was placed in the center of a field to gather people and to detect the direction of the wind.
Vocabulary with the Character 中
| Chinese Characters | Bopomofo | Pinyin | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 中國 | ㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ | zhōngguó | China |
| 中心 | ㄓㄨㄥ ㄒㄧㄣ | zhōngxīn | Center |
| 中間 | ㄓㄨㄥ ㄐㄧㄢ | zhōngjiān | Middle, Between |
| 中等 | ㄓㄨㄥ ㄉㄥˇ | zhōngděng | Intermediate, Middle-level |
| 中文 | ㄓㄨㄥ ㄨㄣˊ | zhōngwén | Chinese language |
| 中學 | ㄓㄨㄥ ㄒㄩㄝˊ | zhōngxué | Middle school |
| 其中 | ㄑㄧˊ ㄓㄨㄥ | qízhōng | Among |
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