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的中 (てきちゅう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

的てき中ちゅう

て

き

ちゅ

う

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

hitting the target; striking home

Only when written 的中

Literal or direct use for a projectile, blow, or point striking its target. Restricted this sense to the spelling 的中.

矢やが的まとの中ちゅう心しんに的てき中ちゅうした。
The arrow hit the center of the target.
砲ほう弾だんは目もく標ひょうに

的てき

中ちゅう

し

た

。

The shell struck the target.

2

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

proving right; coming true; being on the mark

Common with predictions, guesses, worries, prophecies, and diagnoses: what someone said, expected, or feared turns out to be correct.

彼かれの予よ想そうは見み事ごとに的てき中ちゅうした。
His prediction proved exactly right.
残ざん念ねんながら、私わたしの不ふ安あんが的てき中ちゅうした。
Unfortunately, my fears came true.
その占うらないは驚おどろくほど的てき中ちゅうしていた。
That fortune-telling was surprisingly on the mark.

Written forms

的てき中ちゅうUsage93%
Standard and common spelling for both literal hitting and predictions or guesses turning out correct.
適てき中ちゅうUsage7%
Much less common variant associated with being apt, correct, or on the mark; this spelling is not used for the literal target-hitting sense.

Kanji

的bull's eye, mark, target
中in, inside, middle
適suitable, occasional, rare

Similar words

命めい中ちゅう
Also means hitting a target, especially with bullets, arrows, or thrown objects; it is more strongly physical, while 的中 is very common for predictions and guesses proving correct.
当あたる
A broader everyday verb meaning to hit, be correct, win, or be affected; 的中 is a Sino-Japanese noun/する verb with a more focused sense of hitting the mark.
的てき確かく
Means accurate, precise, or appropriate as a na-adjective; 的中 describes the event of a guess, prediction, or shot actually hitting the mark.

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound. 的 means “target,” and 中 here is associated with hitting or being in the center, giving the idea of “hitting the target.” The rare spelling 適中 uses 適, suggesting correctness or aptness.