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Kotomora

央

center, middle

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 1,000Strokes5

Readings

On'yomi

  • オウ

Kun'yomi

—

Nanori

  • あきら
  • え
  • お
  • さと

Meaning

央 centers on the idea of being in the middle or at the heart of something. Its meanings of center and middle are direct expressions of this core spatial concept.

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Etymology

央 is thought to depict a person standing in the center of a space, with the top representing the head and the lower strokes indicating the body and boundaries. The exact historical development is somewhat uncertain, but the association with centrality is well established.

Meaning mnemonic

The shape of 央 looks like a person standing squarely in the middle of a frame: the top is the head, the wide horizontal stroke is the shoulders, and the lower strokes mark the center position. This person is right in the center of everything.

Reading mnemonic

For オウ, imagine a person standing in the center of a room and letting out a loud 'Oh!' when they realize they are the center of attention: Oh -> オウ.