| Quick Links Welcome to Kanji Curiosity | The Basics | Glossary |
In last week’s blog, we saw how a single 中 can change “deep in the night” (夜中, yonaka) into “all night” (夜中中, yonakajū). Despite its simple shape, 中 packs quite a punch. And with 中, you get three suffixes for the price of one! That is, the suffix -中 has three meanings. As the meaning changes, so might the yomi. Let’s look at each meaning.
1. Period of Time: JŪ
Let’s say you have a compound expressing a period of time (a day, week, month, year, and so on). The suffix -中 (pronounced -JŪ) enables you to convey that something happened throughout that period of time. A few examples:
| 一日 (ichinichi: one day) | 一日中 (ichinichijū: all day long) |
| 今週 (konshū: this week) | 今週中 (konshūjū: throughout this week; konshūchū: within this week) |
| 一年 (ichinen: one year) | 一年中 (ichinenjū: all year round) |
On How Your Days Are Numbered …
For the most part, this table is straightforward. Even the breakdowns are self-explanatory. But there’s an exception to the pattern:
午前 (gozen: morning, 午前中 (gozenchū: all morning)
noon + before)
This compound refers to a period of time but atypically uses the yomi CHŪ. A mnemonic may help with this aberration:
All morning I chew.
2. Place: JŪ
When a word refers to a place, adding -中 (again pronounced -JŪ) indicates “throughout” that place:
| 日本 (Nihon: Japan) Japan + origin |
日本中 (Nihonjū: all over Japan) |
| 世界 (sekai: world) world + world |
世界中 (sekaijū: all over the world) |
| 部屋 (heya: room) section + house |
部屋中 (heyajū: the whole room) |
| 家 (ie: family, house) | 家中 (iejū: all over the house, the whole family) |
3. Activity: CHŪ
By adding -中 (this time read as -CHŪ) to a noun, you indicate that an activity is under way:
| 会議 (kaigi: meeting) to meet + to discuss |
会議中 (kaigichū: meeting in session) |
| 外出 (gaishutsu: trip, going out) out + to go out |
外出中(gaishutsuchū: out of the office, while away/out) |
| 使用 (shiyō: use, application) to use + to prepare |
使用中 (shiyōchū: in use) |
| 工事 (kōji: construction) construction + event |
工事中 (kōjichū: under construction) |
| 考慮 (kōryo: consideration, taking into account) to consider + to show consideration |
考慮中 (kōryochū: under consideration) |
| 貸し出し(kashidashi: lending) to lend + to go out |
貸し出し中 (kashidashichū: out on loan) |
I love the rhyme in kashidashi!
On Pairing Off
Single Kanji with -中 …
An Offensive Mnemonic
With two yomi for the three -中 suffixes, it can be hard to remember which pronunciation goes with which usage. Here are two mnemonics:
There’s a time and a place for Jews.
Chewing is an activity.
I know the first one sounds anti-Semitic, but as I’m Jewish, I think I’m off the hook!
For Another Mnemonic
Involving Jews …
Enough of all this! It’s time for you to have fun with a Verbal Logic Quiz.
