Difference between revisions of "Comparing "zhijian" and “zhongjian""
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| − | == 中间 | + | == Usages of 中间 == |
| − | + | === 中间 as "In the Middle of" === | |
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| + | 中间 can be used for describing location within an object. This "within" could be "inside" a space, like inside a house, or like in the middle (center) of a table, or in the middle of the screen. You can't use 之间 in this way. | ||
==== Structure ==== | ==== Structure ==== | ||
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| − | == | + | === 中间 as "Among" === |
| − | + | 中间 is used when referring to one (or more) "among many." | |
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| − | + | A few examples: | |
<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | + | *你们 <em>中间</em> 有 会 唱歌 的 吗 ？ <span class="trans">Can anyone among you sing?</span> | |
| − | * | + | *这些 人 <em>中间</em> 我 只 认识 一个 。<span class="trans">Among these people, there's only one I know.</span> |
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| − | == | + | == Usages of 之间 == |
| − | + | === 之间 as "Ranging from... to..." === | |
| − | + | This usage refers to examples like "between 8am and 3pm" or "between 20 and 30". | |
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==== Structure ==== | ==== Structure ==== | ||
<div class="jiegou"> | <div class="jiegou"> | ||
| − | + | A + 到 + B + 之间 | |
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==== Examples ==== | ==== Examples ==== | ||
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| − | = | + | *你 可以 明早 八 点 <strong>到</strong> 十 点 <em>之间</em> 过来 。<span class="trans">You can come between 8am and 10am tomorrow.</span> |
| − | + | *45 岁 <strong>到</strong> 60 岁 <em>之间</em> 的 人 很容易 得 这种病 。<span class="trans">It's easy for people ranging from 45-years-old to 60-years-old to get this disease.</span> | |
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| − | === | + | === 之间 for Describing Relationships === |
| − | + | The idea is that the relationship is "between two people," and the "between" is indicated by 之间. This usage of 之间 can also refer to relationships between two companies, two countries while mostly it's used between two persons. 中间 can't be used in this way. | |
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| − | + | A Few examples: | |
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<div class="liju"> | <div class="liju"> | ||
| − | * <em> | + | *<strong>夫妻</strong> <em>之间</em> 应该 多 交流 。<span class="trans">There should be plenty of communication between husband and wife.</span> |
| − | * <em> | + | *<strong>你们</strong> <em>之间</em> 到底 发生了 什么 事情 ？<span class="trans">What exactly happened between the two of you?</span> |
| + | *她 不 太 会 处理 <strong>上下 级</strong> <em>之间</em> 的 关系 。<span class="trans">She doesn't really understand how to handle the relationships between superiors and subordinates.</span> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
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=== Books === | === Books === | ||
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[[Category:grammar comparison]] | [[Category:grammar comparison]] | ||
| − | {{Basic Grammar|之间|B1|之间 vs. 中间| 八 点 到 十 点 <em>之间</em> 我 都 有空 | + | {{Basic Grammar|之间|B1|之间 vs. 中间| 八 点 到 十 点 <em>之间</em> 我 都 有空 。客厅 的 <em>中间</em> 有 一 个 沙发 。|grammar point|ASGN6O6J}} |
{{Rel char|中间}} | {{Rel char|中间}} | ||
{{Comparison|Nouns}} | {{Comparison|Nouns}} | ||
Revision as of 03:36, 14 March 2018
When describing spatial relationships, the words 之间 (zhījiān) and 中间 (zhōngjiān) will come in handy to express the concepts of "between" and "among." Both have a few particular uses, though.
Both as "Between... and..."
之间 and 中间 can both refer to a space "in the middle" between two points, as long as we're talking about physical space.
Structure
A + 和 + B + 之间／中间
Examples
- 上海 在 江苏省 和 浙江省 之间 / 中间 。Shanghai is between Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province.
- 我家 客厅 和 卧室 中间 是 洗手间 。Our bathroom is between the bedroom and the living room.
Grammatically, both 之间 and 中间 are nouns (location nouns, to be precise). One difference between the two, however, is that 中间 can be used all by itself, but 之间 is always used together with other words.
- 明天 早上 我 有 两个 考试 ，中间 有 20 分钟 的 休息时间 。I have two exams tomorrow morning. And there is a 20-minutes break in between them.
Usages of 中间
中间 as "In the Middle of"
中间 can be used for describing location within an object. This "within" could be "inside" a space, like inside a house, or like in the middle (center) of a table, or in the middle of the screen. You can't use 之间 in this way.
Structure
Place (+ 的) + 中间
Examples
- 客厅 的 中间 有 一个 沙发 。There is a sofa in the middle of the living room.
- 大厅 的 中间 有 很多 人 。There are many people in the middle of the lobby.
- 我 的 座位 在 第七排 的 中间 。 My seat is in the middle of Row 7.
- 把 花 放 在 桌子 中间 。Put the flowers in the middle of the table.
中间 as "Among"
中间 is used when referring to one (or more) "among many."
A few examples:
- 你们 中间 有 会 唱歌 的 吗 ？ Can anyone among you sing?
- 这些 人 中间 我 只 认识 一个 。Among these people, there's only one I know.
Usages of 之间
之间 as "Ranging from... to..."
This usage refers to examples like "between 8am and 3pm" or "between 20 and 30".
Structure
A + 到 + B + 之间
Examples
- 你 可以 明早 八 点 到 十 点 之间 过来 。You can come between 8am and 10am tomorrow.
- 45 岁 到 60 岁 之间 的 人 很容易 得 这种病 。It's easy for people ranging from 45-years-old to 60-years-old to get this disease.
之间 for Describing Relationships
The idea is that the relationship is "between two people," and the "between" is indicated by 之间. This usage of 之间 can also refer to relationships between two companies, two countries while mostly it's used between two persons. 中间 can't be used in this way.
A Few examples:
- 夫妻 之间 应该 多 交流 。There should be plenty of communication between husband and wife.
- 你们 之间 到底 发生了 什么 事情 ？What exactly happened between the two of you?
- 她 不 太 会 处理 上下 级 之间 的 关系 。She doesn't really understand how to handle the relationships between superiors and subordinates.
Sources and further reading
Books
