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当中 (dāng zhōng) — among (in the middle of a group or set); in the center of (a physical space)

Definition

当中 means 'among' a group or 'in the middle of' a space — more emphatic than 中, which is the general 'middle'. For just 'among them' the learner usually wants 其中, not 当中.

noun
among (in the middle of a group or set)in the center of (a physical space)

Examples

  • 当中，。
    Zài zhè xiē tóng xué dāng zhōng, tā de chéng jì zuì hǎo.
    Among these classmates, he has the best grades.
  • 当中。
    Guǎng chǎng dāng zhōng yǒu yì kē shù.
    There is a tree in the middle of the square.
  • 当中，。
    Zài zhè ge gù shi dāng zhōng, wǒ xué dào le hěn duō.
    In this story, I learned a lot.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

当dāngat/in
中zhōngmiddle

当 marks at/in, and 中 marks middle; together they mean among or in the center.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 當; 当 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng當dāng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

Open 当 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The original picture showed a flagpole with a drum in the middle, set up in the center of a field.

Open 中 →

Grammar

Appears in
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