中

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 中 (zhōng) is composed of two parts: the upper part is 一 (yī), which means "one", and the lower part is 口 (kǒu), which means "mouth". The original meaning of 中 is "the center", which refers to the center of a target or the center of a circle. In ancient times, people used a bow and arrow to shoot at a target. The center of the target was the most difficult to hit, so it was called 中.Later, the meaning of 中 was extended to refer to the center of anything, such as the center of a country, the center of a city, or the center of a group of people. It can also be used to refer to the middle of a period of time, such as the middle of the day or the middle of the night.In addition to its literal meaning, 中 also has a number of figurative meanings. For example, it can be used to refer to the most important part of something, such as the most important part of a speech or the most important part of a book. It can also be used to refer to the average or the norm, such as the average height of a group of people or the average temperature of a city.The character 中 is very common in Chinese and is used in a wide variety of contexts. It is an important character to learn for HSK learners, as it is essential for understanding many Chinese words and phrases.