What does ～中（じゅう／ちゅう） mean? Japanese grammar N4

Forming it

How to use it

Attaches after a noun to indicate an entire span (じゅう) or an ongoing period (ちゅう).

• The character 中 has two readings with two different meanings — this is the most confusing part of this pattern. じゅう = the ENTIRE, WHOLE: 一日中 (all day long), 世界中 (all over the world), 体中 (all over the body).
• ちゅう = CURRENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF: 仕事中 (at work), 食事中 (eating a meal), 電話中 (on the phone). This group usually attaches after a noun denoting an ACTIVITY (especially する-nouns).
• Practical rule: attaching after TIME/SPACE (日・週・年・世界・体・町) → read じゅう. Attaching after an ACTIVITY (仕事・食事・勉強・会議・電話・使用) → read ちゅう. There are exceptions, but this rule holds for most cases at N4.
• Note this easily confused pair: 今日中に (きょうじゅうに — within today, a deadline) is read じゅう, not ちゅう. Meanwhile 午前中 (ごぜんちゅう — during the morning) is read ちゅう. These two words must be memorized individually.

Examples

• 昨日(きのう)は一日中(いちにちじゅう)家(か)にいました。

  Yesterday I stayed home all day long.

• 今(こん)仕事(しごと)中(ちゅう)ですから、あとで電話(でんわ)します。

  I'm at work right now, so I'll call you later.

• この歌(うた)は世界中(せかいじゅう)で有名(ゆうめい)です。

  This song is famous all over the world.

Keep in mind

• The form ～中に often carries a deadline meaning similar to までに: 「今週中に返事します」 (I'll reply sometime this week).
• Common signs: 使用中 (in use), 準備中 (preparing), 営業中 (open for business).

Common mistakes

• Wrong一(いち)日(にち)ちゅう家(いえ)にいました。

  I stayed home all day.

  Correct一日中(いちにちじゅう)家(いえ)にいました。

  Attaching after TIME/SPACE is read じゅう (entire). ちゅう is only used for an ACTIVITY currently in progress (仕事中・食事中).

• Wrong今(こん)食事(しょくじ)じゅうです。

  I am eating.

  Correct今(こん)食事(しょくじ)中(ちゅう)です。

  食事 is an ACTIVITY → read ちゅう (currently eating). Reading it as じゅう here would turn it into "throughout the meal," a skewed meaning.

Exam tips

• The N4 reading section often asks about how to read 中 — remember: time/place → じゅう, activity → ちゅう.

Related patterns

• ～ている
• ～までに（deadline）
• ～目（ordinal number）