之中

zhī zhōng

HSK 3.0 Level 4 Noun Common

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Definitions

1. inside
2. among
3. in the midst of (doing sth)
4. during

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Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 之外 zhī wài 之外 zhī wài outside 在空间或范围外: outside

Synonyms

3 items

• 里面 lǐ miàn 里面 lǐ miàn inside 当表示“在…内部”时: inside
• 之间 zhī jiān 之间 zhī jiān (after a noun) between; among; amid 当表示“在…之中（多个事物间）”时: (after a noun) between; among; amid
• 中间 zhōng jiān 中间 zhōng jiān the middle; the inside 当表示“在…中心”时: the middle; the inside

Usage notes

Common mistakes

之中 is often placed after a noun or noun phrase, not at the beginning of a sentence like English 'among'.

Formality

之中 is slightly more formal than 里面; in casual speech 里面 is preferred for physical locations.

Example Sentences

1 shown

在三个选择 之中 ，我选了第一个。

Among the three choices, I picked the first one.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 之中

• 冥冥之中 冥冥之中 míng míng zhī zhōng: in the unseen world of spirits
• 寓管理于服务之中 寓管理于服务之中 yù guǎn lǐ yú fú wù zhī zhōng: to make administration service-oriented
• 意料之中 意料之中 yì liào zhī zhōng: to come as no surprise
• 于雾霭之中 于雾霭之中 yú wù ǎi zhī zhōng: to be beclouded
• 运筹帷幄之中，决胜千里之外 运筹帷幄之中，决胜千里之外 yùn chóu wéi wò zhī zhōng , jué shèng qiān lǐ zhī wài: a general planning in the seclusion of his tent is able to determine the outcome of the distant battle (idiom)

Child Words of 之中

• 中 中 zhōng: within
• 中 中 zhòng: to hit (the mark)
• 之 之 zhī: (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de])