The character 中 — “middle”: how to write it and what it means
middle
The Chinese character 中 is read zhōng and means “middle”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 中
中 has 4 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 中, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 中 is made of
The stroke runs right through the middle.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 中
- 中国ChinaHSK 1
- 中文Chinese (language and writing)HSK 1
- 中午noonHSK 1
- 中学secondary schoolHSK 1
- 中学生secondary school studentHSK 1
- 高中high schoolHSK 2
- 中间middle, betweenHSK 3
- 初中middle school (grades 7–9)HSK 3
- 中年middle ageHSK 4
- 中餐Chinese foodHSK 4
- 其中among them, includingHSK 4
- 期中mid-semesterHSK 4
- 从中from itHSK 4
- 之中among, inHSK 4
- 中介intermediary, agencyHSK 5
- 中期middle periodHSK 5
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 中?
中 has 4 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 中 mean?
中 means “middle”. It appears in 中国 (“China”), 中文 (“Chinese”), 中午 (“noon”), 中学 (“secondary school”).
How do you pronounce 中?
中 is read zhōng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 中 have?
4 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 中 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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