央おう

お

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

Suffix used in compound words to indicate the middle or center of something, such as in 中央 (ちゅうおう, center) or 震央 (しんおう, epicenter). Not used as a standalone word.

「中ちゅう央おう」の「央おう」は真まん中なかを意い味みする。
The 央 in 中央 means 'middle'.
震しん央おうは地じ震しんの発はっ生せい地ち点てんの真ま上うえの地ち表ひょうの点てんだ。
The epicenter is the point on the earth's surface directly above the origin of an earthquake.

Kanji

央center, middle

Related words

中ちゅう央おう
Common word for 'center' or 'middle', used as a standalone noun. 央 is the suffix component meaning 'middle' that appears in such compounds.
中ちゅう心しん
Another common word for 'center', often used for the core or heart of something. 央 is more limited to geographical or positional centers in compounds.

Word family

中ちゅう央おうN3
center; middle; heart · capital; seat of government
震しん央おう
epicenter
年ねん央おう
mid-year; middle of the year
月げつ央おう
middle of the month
県けん央おう
center of a prefecture; heart of a prefecture
道どう央おう
central Hokkaido

Etymology

The kanji 央 is of Chinese origin, originally depicting a person standing under a roof, symbolizing the center. In Japanese, it is used as a suffix in Sino-Japanese compounds to mean 'middle' or 'center'.