Japanese symbol for “middle”
中間
ちゅうかん
Romaji: chuukan
middle; midway; halfway; centre
In Japanese, middle is 中間, read ちゅうかん (chuukan).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n middle; midway; halfway; centre; center
- adj-no, n middle position; moderate position; neutral position; middle-of-the-road position
- adj-no interim; intermediary; intermediate; midterm
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “middle”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 真ん中 | まんなか mannaka | middle; centre; center |
| 半ば | なかば nakaba | middle; halfway; midway |
| 中心 | ちゅうしん chuushin | center; centre; middle |
| 中央 | ちゅうおう chuuou | centre; center; middle |
| 中 | ちゅう chuu | medium (size); average (grade, level, etc.); middle |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 中心 | ちゅうしん chuushin | center; centre; middle |
| 途中 | とちゅう tochuu | on the way; en route |
| 中央 | ちゅうおう chuuou | centre; center; middle |
| 集中 | しゅうちゅう shuuchuu | concentration (on a task); focusing one's attention |
| 中止 | ちゅうし chuushi | interruption; discontinuance; suspension |
| 中身 | なかみ nakami | contents; interior; filling |
| 時間 | じかん jikan | time |
| 人間 | にんげん ningen | human being; human; person |
See also: Chinese symbol for “middle”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.