中
中
“central”
Radical: 丨
Strokes: 4
Level: HSK 1
How 中 is built — overlaid / crossed
口
Mouth · kǒu
An open mouth. Mouth actions (吃 eat, 喝 drink, 说 speak) and round objects use it.
丨
number one
number one; line
The story behind 中
A banner pole (丨) through a mouth/square (口) = middle, center (中).
💡 中国 (Zhōngguó), 中午 (zhōngwǔ, noon), 中文 (Zhōngwén, Chinese language).
Words with 中
中国 Zhōngguó — China
中午 zhōngwǔ — noon
中文 Zhōngwén — Chinese (language)
中间 zhōngjiān — middle
其中 qí zhōng — among
中文 zhōng wén — Chinese
集中 jí zhōng — to concentrate
中介 zhōng jiè — to act as intermediary
中心 zhōng xīn — center
中旬 zhōng xún — middle third of a month
中断 zhōng duàn — to cut short
中立 zhōng lì — neutral
Related characters
Practice 中 in the free app — animated stroke order, tone training with your microphone, and spaced-repetition flashcards.
Open Hanzi Academy — free → ← Browse all 839 characters