中央
chūō[t͡ɕɨːo̞ː]
The English phrase 'middle' can be translated into Japanese. The default form is 中央 (chūō). Wiktionary also lists 中間 (chūkan) and 中心 (chūshin).
Meaning: centre, midpoint (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 中央 | chūō | [t͡ɕɨːo̞ː] (narrow) |
| 中間 | chūkan | [t͡ɕɨːkã̠ɴ] (narrow) [t͡ɕɨːɡẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| 中心 | chūshin | [t͡ɕɨːɕĩɴ] (narrow) |
中央 refers to the central part of a physical space or a geographical area, such as a city. 中間 is used to denote a middle point or an intermediate period between two points in time or space. 中心 is used to describe the center of a circle, a physical point or the core and hub of an activity or concept.
What does it mean word for word?
The components of these words include the character 中, which means middle, inside or during.
Which one should you use?
Use 中央 for the central part of a city or a physical area. Use 中間 when describing something that is halfway between two extremes or two specific points in time or space. Use 中心 when referring to the center of attention, the center of a circle or the hub of a concept.
How do you pronounce it?
chūō
Did you know?
- In Japanese, if you want to say you are 'in the middle of' a task, you would use the character 中 as a suffix, such as in 仕事中.
- The word 中心 literally translates to 'heart in the middle' because the character 心 represents the physical heart as well as the mind.
- The word 中間 can be used to describe a 'middle-man' or an intermediary in a business deal, reflecting its use for a point between two extremes.
Examples in context
- 駅は市の中央にある。The station is the middle of the city.This sentence shows how to use 中央 to locate a station within a city.Tatoeba #188892 by bunbuku, translation #26039 by CK
- 公園の中央に池がある。There is a pond in the middle of the park.This sentence demonstrates the use of 中央 to describe the position of a pond within a park.Tatoeba #174029 by bunbuku, translation #240441 by CK
- 図書館は市の中央にある。The library is in the middle of the city.This sentence illustrates using 中央 to describe the location of a library in a city.Tatoeba #143863 by bunbuku, translation #270703 by Eldad
- この図書館は町の中央にあります。(このとしょかんはまちのちゅうおうにあります。)This library is located in the middle of the town.
- 定期試験の中間結果が発表されました。(ていきしけんのちゅうかんけっかがはっぴょうされました。)The midterm results of the regular exam have been announced.
- 旅行の半ばで雨が降り始めました。(りょこうのなかばであめがふりはじめました。)It started raining halfway through the trip.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are looking at a map of a park.
- 結衣 Yui待ち合わせ場所はどこ？Machiawase basho wa doko?Where is the meeting place?
- 健太 Kenta広場の中央にあるよ。Hiroba no chūō ni aru yo.It's in the middle of the plaza.
- 結衣 Yuiあそこかな？Asoko kana?Is it over there?
- 健太 Kentaうん、そうだよ。Un, sō da yo.Yeah, that's it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “middle” translations and entries 中央, 中間, 中心, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 中央, 中心, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
