中 (zhòng) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

中

zhòng[zhong4]Tone 4

to hit (a target)

HSK 1

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · to hit (a target)

Cached lesson

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Topology:Full enclosure

Strokes:4

Writing Balance Rule: The vertical stroke must run precisely down the exact center axis, splitting the box into two balanced halves.

1. Meaning

to hit a target or mark

to be struck by something undesirable such as a bullet or illnessto win a prize or lottery

VerbNeutral#action#achievement#consequence

Sample Usage

他猜中了。
tā cāi zhòng le.
He guessed correctly.
中奖了！
zhòng jiǎng le!
Won the lottery / prize!

2. Sound

/[tʂʊŋ⁵¹]/Tone: 51

中

zhòngzhong4

`(51)

=zhòng

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Retroflex

Sounds like: j/dr retroflex sound

UnaspiratedRetroflex

Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air. Tongue curled up. Tissue stays still.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near hard palate

Final Rhyme

ong

Vowel Group: -o vowel group

Sounds like: -ong rhymes with rung

Mouth Shape Guide: Combine initial 'h-' (h) with final '-ong' (oong).

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops sharply to the bottom, mirroring an emphatic downward command in English.

👂

Listening trap: Do not confuse the Tone 4 falling pronunciation (zhòng, to hit/win) with the Tone 1 level pronunciation (zhōng, middle/center).

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 4 is a sharp drop, like nodding firmly in agreement or saying 'No!' decisively from high to low.

3. Writing

Topology: Full enclosure · Strokes: 4 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The vertical stroke must run precisely down the exact center axis, splitting the box into two balanced halves.

4. Components

Radical 丨 · Vertical Radical (vertical line)

A mouth or enclosed box (口) pierced right down the middle (丨) by an arrow, hitting the dead center.

口 container or target box
丨 vertical arrow hitting the center

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

11· Phonetic Root: 中 (zhòng)

5. History

Liushu category: Indicative (指事)

Origin: In Oracle Bone scripts, it was depicted as a banner or a target pierced through the middle by an arrow.

Semantic Evolution: Originally meaning 'middle' or 'center' (zhōng), it extended to mean 'hitting the center' and subsequently 'hitting a target, winning, or suffering an impact' (zhòng).

The character is one of the most frequently used glyphs in Chinese script due to its dual roles as noun/adverb root and verb.

6. Sinosphere

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

An archer fires an arrow straight down the center (丨) of the target box (口), and it hits the bullseye dead on—you WIN (zhòng)!

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

中(zhōng)

Same character, but Tone 1 (zhōng) means 'middle/center' as a location, while Tone 4 (zhòng) is a verb meaning 'to hit/win'.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

买彩票竟然让我[___]了头奖！

Clue: zhòng

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the tone when shifting between the spatial meaning (zhōng, 1st tone) and the active verb meaning of hitting or winning (zhòng, 4th tone).

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 中 read as zhòng (Tone 4), what action does it signify?

Production: How do you write and pronounce the verb meaning 'to hit a target' or 'to win a prize'?

中zhòngto hit (a target)

Speed:

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