Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 중간 | junggan | [t͡ɕuŋɡa̠n] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 중앙 | jung'ang | [t͡ɕuŋa̠ŋ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 가운데 | gaunde | [ka̠unde̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 중심 | jungsim | [t͡ɕuŋɕʰim] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ˈt͡ɕu(ː)ŋɕʰim] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The term for "middle" changes based on whether you are describing a point in time, a physical center or a focal point. For example, if you are talking about the middle finger, the standard term is 가운데손가락, which uses the word for physical position.
Which one should you use?
The different forms of "middle" are chosen based on the specific context: – 중간 refers to the middle in terms of time, a sequence or a process. – 중앙 refers to a physical center or a central administrative body, such as a central government. – 가운데 refers to the physical middle of an object or being in the midst of a group of people. – 중심 refers to a center of gravity, a core or a focal point of an activity.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
By adding the particle 에 to 중간, you create the phrase 중간에, which means "in the middle of" a specific time or action.
How do you pronounce it?
junggan
Did you know?
- The term 중심 (jungsim) literally translates to 'heart' or 'center of the heart', reflecting how Koreans view a focal point as the vital core of an object or idea.
- When discussing physics or mathematics, the Korean word for 'center of gravity' is also 중심 (jungsim), which uses the same characters for 'heavy' and 'heart'.
Examples in context
- 천장 중앙에 둥근 전등이 매달려 있다.A round light is hanging from the middle of the ceiling.This sentence uses 중앙 to describe the center of a ceiling.Tatoeba #8543822 by okja, translation #3652057 by karloelkebekio
- 우리의 손가락은 엄지부터 차례대로 '엄지손가락', '집게손가락', '가운데손가락', '약손가락', '새끼손가락'이라고 부른다.Starting from the thumb, your fingers are called the "thumb", "index finger", "middle finger", "ring finger", and "pinky".This sentence uses 가운데 to name the middle finger in a sequence of fingers.Tatoeba #11106868 by intertime, translation #10573685 by auxitt
- 대한 해협 가운데에In the middle of the Korea StraitThis sentence uses 가운데 to describe being in the middle of a geographic area.
- 도로의 가운데 (doro-ui ga-un-de)The middle of the road
- 페이지의 가운데 (pe-ji-eui ga-un-de)The middle of the page
- 회의의 중간에 (hoe-ui jung-gan-e)In the middle of the meeting
- 가운데에서 기다려 (ga-un-de-e-seo gi-da-ryeo)Wait in the middle
- 가운데에서 만나자 (ga-un-de-e-seo man-na-ja)Meet me in the middle
Example conversation
Hyun-woo and Min-ji are deciding where to place a table in a room.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo테이블을 방 중간에 놓을까요?teibeureul bang junggane noeulkkayo?Shall we put the table in the middle of the room?
- 민지 Min-ji네, 그게 가장 좋을 것 같아요.ne, geuge gajang joeul geot gatayo.Yes, I think that would be best.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo지금 위치가 딱 중간인가요?jigeum wichiga ttak jungganingayo?Is the current position exactly in the middle?
- 민지 Min-ji네, 아주 정확해요.ne, aju jeonghwakhaeyo.Yes, it is very accurate.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “middle” translations and entries 중간, 중앙, 가운데, 중심, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 가운데, 중간, 중심, 중앙, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
