Word
中間
Meaning in Englishmiddle, midway, interim
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
Related sentences
Related sentences
There are no published items in this section yet.
Word context
What it means
What does 中間 mean? It denotes the position or state that lies between two points or extremes, i.e., the middle or an intermediate stage in space, time, or sequence.
Main meanings
- Middle or midpoint in space or time
- Intermediate or midway in a process or scale
- A position or option between two extremes, often used in planning or evaluation
How to use it
Used as a noun and as a modifier in compounds such as 中間地点, 中間の, and 中間層; appropriate in formal and neutral contexts, including technical writing, education, business, and everyday speech when describing something between two points or stages.
Variants and close terms
- 真ん中 (まんなか) — exact middle
- 中盤 (ちゅうばん) — middle phase
- 中途 (ちゅうと) — midway
- ど真ん中 (どまんなか) — very center
- 端/端っこ (はし/はしっこ) — edge
Composition
- 中: middle, center
- 間: interval, space
- Combination conveys being in the middle of a space or between two points
Etymology
中 and 間 combine to form a native compound read as chūkan, illustrating a straightforward semantic fusion rather than a borrowed term.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N2
間もなく
mamonaku
soon, shortly, before long, in a short time, in a little while
N2
民間
minkan
private, civilian
N2
夜間
yakan
at night, nighttime
N3
集中
shuuchuu
concentration, focus, centralization
N3
瞬間
shunkan
moment, instant
N3
世間
seken
society, the world, public opinion
N3
居間
ima
living room, sitting room
N3
間隔
kankaku
interval, spacing, gap
N3
期間
kikan
period, term, duration
Kanji