中 zhōng
“within; among; in; middle; center; while (doing sth); during”
locality word, attributive, verb2021 list level 1
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
中 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entries. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 981: 中 zhōng — Level 3; official annotation 3 (名). PDF page 104
- Entry 5328: 中 zhòng — Level 6; official annotation 6 (动). PDF page 213
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 中
中 (zhōng) means "middle, among, in" or "in the process of". It appears after a noun phrase (在生活中 "in life", 学生中 "among the students", 进行中 "in progress"). For concrete physical "inside a room/box", everyday speech prefers 里.
例句Example sentences
- 在学习中遇到问题是正常的。zài xué xí zhōng yù dào wèn tí shì zhèng cháng de.Running into problems in your studies is normal.
- 他们三个人中，小李最高。tā men sān gè rén zhōng, xiǎo lǐ zuì gāo.Among the three of them, Xiao Li is the tallest.
- 会议正在进行中，请安静。huì yì zhèng zài jìn xíng zhōng, qǐng ān jìng.The meeting is in progress; please be quiet.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗我在房间中看书。
✓我在房间里看书。
For physical indoor spaces in everyday speech, use 里 rather than 中.
义项All meanings
- Zhōng: China; Chinese; surname Zhong
- zhōng: within; among; in; middle; center; while (doing sth); during; (dialect) OK; all right
- zhòng: to hit (the mark); to be hit by; to suffer; to win (a prize, a lottery)