的てき中ちゅう

て

き

ちゅ

う

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

的中する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	的てき中ちゅうする	的てき中ちゅうしない
Polite	的てき中ちゅうします	的てき中ちゅうしません
Past polite	的てき中ちゅうしました	的てき中ちゅうしませんでした
Past	的てき中ちゅうした	的てき中ちゅうしなかった
Te-form	的てき中ちゅうして	的てき中ちゅうしないで
Desire	的てき中ちゅうしたい	的てき中ちゅうしたくない
Potential	的てき中ちゅうできる	的てき中ちゅうできない
Passive	的てき中ちゅうされる	的てき中ちゅうされない
Causative	的てき中ちゅうさせる	的てき中ちゅうさせない
Causative passive	的てき中ちゅうさせられる	的てき中ちゅうさせられない
Volitional	的てき中ちゅうしよう
Polite volitional	的てき中ちゅうしましょう
Imperative	的てき中ちゅうしろ	的てき中ちゅうするな
Conditional	的てき中ちゅうすれば	的てき中ちゅうしなければ
Tara conditional	的てき中ちゅうしたら	的てき中ちゅうしなかったら

Meanings

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.

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.

See all 23 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉が的てき中ちゅうするfor a prediction, guess, or fear to prove correct
彼かれの予よ想そうは的てき中ちゅうした。
His prediction turned out to be right.
〈物もの〉が的てきに的てき中ちゅうするfor a projectile to strike the target directly
矢やが的てきの真まん中なかに的てき中ちゅうした。
The arrow struck the very center of the target.
ズバリ的てき中ちゅうするto hit the mark exactly, with no hesitation or error
彼かの女じょの指し摘てきはズバリ的てき中ちゅうしていた。
Her observation was spot on.

Kanji

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

Related words

命めい中ちゅうN1sense 1
命中 emphasizes a physical hit, like a bullet or arrow striking its target, while 的中 covers both physical hits and predictions turning out correct.
当あたるN4sense 2
当たる is a common everyday verb covering hitting, guessing right, or being affected, while 的中 is a more formal noun/する verb focused specifically on something hitting the mark exactly.
図ず星ぼし sense 2
図星 is used almost fixedly in 図星だ／図星をつく to say a guess is exactly right, whereas 的中 is more general and can describe predictions, shots, or diagnoses proving correct.
当あたりN1
的中 is a formal word for a prediction or shot hitting exactly, while 当たり is the everyday, more colloquial noun for the same idea.
大おお当あたり
的中 is the neutral term for a prediction or guess hitting exactly right, while 大当たり adds a nuance of pleasant surprise at how right it turned out to be.

Opposites

外はずれN1
外れ means a miss or a prediction that turns out wrong, the direct opposite of 的中 succeeding in hitting the mark or coming true.

Don't confuse with

的てき確かくN2
的確 is a na-adjective meaning accurate or appropriate in general, while 的中 is a noun describing the specific event of a shot, guess, or prediction actually hitting the mark.

Word family

的てき中ちゅう率りつ
hit rate; accuracy rate; success rate

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.

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.