中
中 (zhōng) means “middle”. It is made of 口 + 丨 and has 4 strokes, and is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 中 into its parts
What 中 is made of
- 口 kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
Origin hint: A line 丨 through the center of a box 口 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
中 stroke order
Example sentences
我们班中有三个外国学生。Wǒmen bān zhōng yǒu sān gè wàiguó xuésheng.There are three foreign students in our class.
这三个中，你喜欢哪个？Zhè sān gè zhōng, nǐ xǐhuan nǎge?Of these three, which one do you like?
Words with 中
- 中国ZhōngguóChina
- 中间zhōngjiānmiddle
- 中文ZhōngwénChinese (written language)
- 中午zhōngwǔnoon
- 中学zhōngxuésecondary school
- 中学生zhōngxuéshēngsecondary school student
- 高中gāozhōngsenior high school
- 其中qízhōngamong them
- 心中xīnzhōngin one's heart
- 中餐zhōngcānChinese food
- 中级zhōngjíintermediate
- 中年zhōngniánmiddle age
- 中小学zhōngxiǎoxuéprimary and middle schools
- 中心zhōngxīncenter
- 中医zhōngyītraditional Chinese medicine
- 初中chūzhōngjunior high school
- 当中dāngzhōngamong
- 集中jízhōngto concentrate
- 中部zhōngbùcentral part
- 中华民族Zhōnghuá Mínzúthe Chinese nation
- 期中qīzhōngmidterm
- 途中túzhōngon the way
- 中介zhōngjièagency
- 中奖zhòngjiǎngto win a prize (in a lottery)
- 中旬zhōngxúnmiddle ten days of a month
- 中断zhōngduànto break off
- 中立zhōnglìneutral
- 中央zhōngyāngcentre
- 从中cóngzhōngfrom it
- 之中zhīzhōngamong
Also built with 口
- 享xiǎngto share
- 京jīngcapital
- 亮liàngbright
- 兄xiōngelder brother
- 加jiāto add
- 占zhànto occupy
- 古gǔancient
- 句jùmeasure word for sentences
- 另lìnganother
- 叨dāotalkative
- 只zhǐonly
- 叫jiàoto be called
Quick facts
| Pinyin | zhōng |
|---|---|
| Meaning | middle; centre |
| Strokes | 4 |
| Radical | 丨 (vertical line, #2) |
| Pattern | Overlapping |
| HSK | HSK 3 (exam 2025) · HSK 1 (2021) |
Questions about 中
What does 中 mean?
中 (zhōng) means “middle; centre”.
How many strokes does 中 have?
中 has 4 strokes.
What is the radical of 中?
The radical of 中 is 丨 (gǔn, “vertical line”), Kangxi radical number 2.
What parts make up 中?
中 is made of 口 (mouth) and 丨 (vertical stroke).
Which HSK level is 中?
中 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021).
Learn 中 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 31: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.