中心
zhōngxīnnoun★Beginner
general
The central or most important part of something.
北京的中心是天安门广场。
The center of Beijing is Tiananmen Square.
💡
Can refer to physical, conceptual, or organizational centers.
general
A central location or point of focus.
我们需要找到这个问题的中心。
We need to find the center of this issue.
💡
Often used metaphorically for the core or essence of something.
Collocations
中心地带central area中心思想central idea中心人物central figure
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
中心思想phrase
central idea
中心地位phrase
central position
💡Pro Tip
Literal vs. Figurative
Remember that '中心' can refer to both physical centers and abstract cores of ideas or organizations.
⚡Gold Rule
Common Usage
In most contexts, '中心' translates to 'center' in English, whether referring to a physical location or a conceptual core.
📖Word Origin
Combination of '中' (middle) and '心' (heart), literally meaning 'middle heart' or 'central heart'.
📝Usage Notes
Can be used both literally (physical center) and metaphorically (most important part).
Word Breakdown
中
middle
root心
heart
root汉英词典