中ちゅう

ちゅ

う

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 100

Meanings

noun

medium; average; middle

Used for size, grade, level, or position. Common in compounds like 中サイズ or 中程度.

Related words· 6

並なみN1sense 1

並（なみ）is a casual way to describe 'average/ordinary grade', while 中（ちゅう）is the more standard term used in formal size or quality labels like 中サイズ.

最さい中ちゅうN4sense 4

最中（さいちゅう）is a noun meaning 'right in the middle of' used with の, whereas 中（ちゅう）is a suffix attached directly to action nouns like 会議中.

下かN1

下 (か) marks being under a condition, influence, or era (戦争下, 政権下), while 中 (ちゅう) marks being in the middle of an ongoing action or state (会議中, 工事中).

内ない

内 emphasizes a fixed limit or scope (時間内 'within the time limit'), while 中 emphasizes being in the middle of an ongoing action or period (作業中 'in the middle of working').

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期き間かん中ちゅうN2
中 attached directly to a time noun (e.g. 今月中) also means 'during', but 期間中 explicitly names the 'period' itself, making it clearer when the period is the topic of discussion.
間あいだ中じゅう
中 (ちゅう) as a suffix just marks 'during' a period, whereas 間中 (あいだじゅう) is more emphatic that the action or state spans the whole period.

Opposites

上じょうN3sense 1

上（じょう）marks the highest or superior grade, while 中（ちゅう）marks the medium, average grade, as seen in 上・中・下 ranking systems.

下げN3sense 1

下（げ）marks the lowest or inferior grade, while 中（ちゅう）marks the medium, average grade within the same 上・中・下 scale.

Don't confuse with

中なかN5

中（なか）is a native Japanese noun meaning 'inside' or 'among' used on its own, whereas 中（ちゅう）is a Sino-Japanese suffix attached to other words, as in 会議中 (during a meeting).

中じゅうN4

中（じゅう）means 'throughout' and stresses covering an entire span, as in 一年中 (all year round), while 中（ちゅう）refers to a specific point or period within, as in 授業中 (during class).

チュー

中 (meaning 'inside' or 'during') is pronounced identically to チュー but is a completely unrelated word, so context alone tells them apart.

中ちゅう

Meanings

Usage patterns

Expressions· 32