中なか

noun

inside; interior; middle; center

Basic spatial use: the inside of a container, place, or area, and by extension the middle or central part. For the exact center, 真ん中 is especially common.

• 箱はこの中なかに古ふるい写しゃ真しんが入はいっている。

  There are old photos inside the box.

• 部屋へやの真まん中なかに丸まるいテーブルを置おいた。

  We put a round table in the middle of the room.

noun, adverb

among; within; out of

Used to pick out something from inside a group, set, range, or selection. Common patterns include の中に, の中で, and この中で.

• 参さん加か者しゃの中なかに高こう校こう時じ代だいの友ゆう人じんがいた。

  Among the participants was a friend from high school.

• この中なかで一いち番ばん安やすいのはどれですか。

  Which of these is the cheapest?

noun, adverb

during; while; amid; in the midst of

Used for being in the middle of a time, situation, activity, or condition. In phrases such as 忙しい中 and 雨の中, it often implies surrounding circumstances.

• 忙いそがしい中なか、来きてくれてありがとう。

  Thank you for coming despite being busy.

• 雨あめの中なかを駅えきまで歩あるいた。

  I walked to the station in the rain.

noun

interval; gap; time in between

Limited but common in counting expressions such as 中一日, meaning that a certain interval is left in between.

• 中なか一いち日にち置おいて、もう一いち度ど検けん査さした。

  After leaving one day in between, we tested it again.

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun

middle one; second of three

Used with の to mean the middle member of a three-part set, especially children or siblings: 上の子, 中の子, 下の子.

• 三さん人にん兄きょう弟だいで、中なかの子こだけが東とう京きょうに住すんでいる。

  Of the three siblings, only the middle child lives in Tokyo.

noun

average; medium grade; medium quality

Refers to a middle or average level, neither high nor low. Common in expressions such as 中くらい, 中の上, and 中の下 for relative grade or quality.

• 彼かれの成せい績せきはクラスで中ちゅうくらいだ。

  His grades are about average in the class.

• この店みせのランチは値ね段だんも味あじも中ちゅうの上じょうだ。

  This restaurant's lunch is upper-middle in both price and taste.

noun

red-light district

Archaic use referring to a licensed pleasure quarter or red-light district; modern Japanese normally uses other terms, and this sense is mainly of historical or textual interest.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいの文ぶん脈みゃくで「中なか」とあれば、遊ゆう里りを指さす場ば合あいがある。

  In an Edo-period context, 中 may sometimes refer to a pleasure quarter.