Difference between revisions of "Comparing "zhijian" and “zhongjian""

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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 are technically nouns (of location) in Chinese, but one key difference is that 中间 can also mean "in the middle."
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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 can mean "in the middle" ==
 
== Both can mean "in the middle" ==
  
=== 涉及到两点之间位置的时候用法相同 ===
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=== Between two points in space ===
  
之间 and 中间 can both refer to a space "in the middle," only in physical space.
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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.  So between Shanghai and Beijing, between my eyes, between the psychotic monkey and the enraged elephant, etc.
  
 
==== Structure ====
 
==== Structure ====
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 上海在江苏省和浙江省之间。
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* 上海 在 江苏省 和 浙江省 <em>之间</em> 。 <span class="trans">Shanghai is between Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province.</span>
* 在沙发和桌子之间有一只猫。
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* 在沙发和桌子之间有一只猫。 <span class="trans">There's a cat between the sofa and the table.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
=== 涉及到时间和数量范围的时候,要用“之间” ===
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=== For time and number ranges use 之间 ===
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This usage refers to examples like "between 8am and 3pm" or "a number between 32 and 51."
  
 
==== Structure ====
 
==== Structure ====
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 你需要在八点到十点之间来。
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* 你 需要 在 八 点 到 十 点 <em>之间</em> 来 。 <span class="trans">You need to come between 8:00 and 10:00.</span>
* 3月到7月之间是旅游的好时间。
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* 3月 到 7月 <em>之间</em> 是 旅游 的 好 时间 。 <span class="trans">Betwen March and July is a good time to travel.</span>
* 上海的外国人数量在17万到20万之间。
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* 上海 的 外国人 数量 在 17 万 到 20 万 <em>之间</em> 。 <span class="trans">There are between 170,000 and 200,000 foreigners in Shanghai.</span>
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* 上海 的 外星人 数量 在 170 到 200 <em>之间</em> 。 <span class="trans">There are between 170 and 200 extraterrestrials in Shanghai.</span>
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</div>
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=== For describing location within an object, use 中间 ===
  
</div>
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This "within" could be "inside" a space (like inside a house, or inside a refrigerator), and is similar to 里面 except that it is also centered in the space (with regards to the sides, but not height).  But it can also mean "in the middle of" a two-dimensional physical space, like in the middle (center) of a table, or in the middle of the screen.
  
=== 涉及到一个物体内部位置的时候,要用“中间” ===
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You can't use 之间 in this way.
  
 
==== Structure ====
 
==== Structure ====
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
* 房子的中间有一个大桌子。
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* 房子 的 <em>中间</em> 有 一 个 大 桌子 。 <span class="trans">In the middle of the apartment there's a table.</span>
* 这只猫的眼睛中间有个苍蝇。
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* 我 在 这 一 排 座位 的 <em>中间</em> 。 <span class="trans">I'm in the middle of this row of seats.</span>
* 我在这一排座位的中间。
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* 把 花 放 在 桌子 <em>中间</em> 。 <span class="trans">Put the flowers in the middle of the table.</span>
* 把花放在桌子中间。
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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=== 之间 can be used to indicate relationships ===
 
=== 之间 can be used to indicate relationships ===
  
“之间”还可以用于表示一种关系。
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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 a person and a company, two companies, two countries, etc.
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 +
You can't use 中间 in this way.
  
 
==== Structure ====
 
==== Structure ====
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</div>
 
</div>
  
In the structure above, Noun1 and Noun2 are usually people.
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In the structure above, Noun1 and Noun2 are frequently people.
  
 
==== Examples ====
 
==== Examples ====
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 父母和孩子之间应该多交流。
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* 父母 和 孩子 <em>之间</em> 应该 多 交流 。 <span class="trans">There should be plenty of communication between parents and children.</span>
* 我们公司,同事之间的关系很复杂。
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* 我们 公司 , 同事 <em>之间</em> 的 关系 很 复杂 。 <span class="trans">The relationships between our company and its employees are quite complex.</span>
* 中美之间还有很多问题需要解决。
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* 中美 <em>之间</em> 还 有 很 多 问题 需要 解决 。 <span class="trans">There are a lot of issues between China and the USA which need to be resolved.</span>
* 我们之间什么话都说。
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* 我们 <em>之间</em> 什么 话 都 说 。 <span class="trans">The two of us can talk about anything.</span>
* 国家之间的政治关系受经济的影响很大。
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* 你 要 学 会 处理 上下 级 <em>之间</em> 的 关系 。 <span class="trans">You need to learn to handle the relationships between superiors and subordinates.</span>
* 要学会处理上下级之间的关系。
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* 国家 <em>之间</em> 的 政治 关系 受 经济 的 影响 很 大 。 <span class="trans">The effect of economics on the relationship between the two countries is significant.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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=== 中间 can also mean "among" ===
 
=== 中间 can also mean "among" ===
  
也可以表示在众多事物中的某一个。
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中间 is used when referring to one (or more) "among many."
  
 
==== Structure ====
 
==== Structure ====
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 你们中间有会唱歌的吗?
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* 你们 <em>中间</em> 有 会 唱歌 的 吗 ? <span class="trans">Can anyone among you sing?</span>
* 这些人中间只有一个我认识。
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* 这 些 人 <em>中间</em> 只 有 一 个 我 认识 。 <span class="trans">Among these people, there's only one I know.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
=== “中间”可形成其他固定搭配 ===
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=== 中间 can be used as part of other words ===
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中间 is a noun, and can combine with other nouns to create a number of fairly common verbs.
  
 
==== Structure ====
 
==== Structure ====
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 中间人
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* <em>中间</em>人 <span class="trans">intermediary (lit. "middle person")</span>
* 中间商
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* <em>中间</em>商 <span class="trans">broker (lit. "middle business")</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  

Revision as of 01:58, 14 October 2013

Chinese-grammar-wiki-zhi1.jpg

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 can mean "in the middle"

Between two points in space

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. So between Shanghai and Beijing, between my eyes, between the psychotic monkey and the enraged elephant, etc.

Structure

Noun1 + 和 + Noun2 + 之间/中间

Examples

  • 上海 在 江苏省 和 浙江省 之间Shanghai is between Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province.
  • 在沙发和桌子之间有一只猫。 There's a cat between the sofa and the table.

For time and number ranges use 之间

This usage refers to examples like "between 8am and 3pm" or "a number between 32 and 51."

Structure

Time1 + 和 + Time2 + 之间

Number1 + 和 + Number2 + 之间

Examples

  • 你 需要 在 八 点 到 十 点 之间 来 。 You need to come between 8:00 and 10:00.
  • 3月 到 7月 之间 是 旅游 的 好 时间 。 Betwen March and July is a good time to travel.
  • 上海 的 外国人 数量 在 17 万 到 20 万 之间There are between 170,000 and 200,000 foreigners in Shanghai.
  • 上海 的 外星人 数量 在 170 到 200 之间There are between 170 and 200 extraterrestrials in Shanghai.

For describing location within an object, use 中间

This "within" could be "inside" a space (like inside a house, or inside a refrigerator), and is similar to 里面 except that it is also centered in the space (with regards to the sides, but not height). But it can also mean "in the middle of" a two-dimensional physical space, 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

Noun + (的 +) 中间

Examples

  • 房子 的 中间 有 一 个 大 桌子 。 In the middle of the apartment there's a table.
  • 我 在 这 一 排 座位 的 中间I'm in the middle of this row of seats.
  • 把 花 放 在 桌子 中间Put the flowers in the middle of the table.

Other uses of 之间

之间 can be used to indicate 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 a person and a company, two companies, two countries, etc.

You can't use 中间 in this way.

Structure

Noun1 + 和 + Noun2 + 之间

In the structure above, Noun1 and Noun2 are frequently people.

Examples

  • 父母 和 孩子 之间 应该 多 交流 。 There should be plenty of communication between parents and children.
  • 我们 公司 , 同事 之间 的 关系 很 复杂 。 The relationships between our company and its employees are quite complex.
  • 中美 之间 还 有 很 多 问题 需要 解决 。 There are a lot of issues between China and the USA which need to be resolved.
  • 我们 之间 什么 话 都 说 。 The two of us can talk about anything.
  • 你 要 学 会 处理 上下 级 之间 的 关系 。 You need to learn to handle the relationships between superiors and subordinates.
  • 国家 之间 的 政治 关系 受 经济 的 影响 很 大 。 The effect of economics on the relationship between the two countries is significant.

Other uses of 中间

中间 can also mean "among"

中间 is used when referring to one (or more) "among many."

Structure

Noun + (的 +) 中间

Examples

  • 你们 中间 有 会 唱歌 的 吗 ? Can anyone among you sing?
  • 这 些 人 中间 只 有 一 个 我 认识 。 Among these people, there's only one I know.

中间 can be used as part of other words

中间 is a noun, and can combine with other nouns to create a number of fairly common verbs.

Structure

中间 + Noun

Examples

  • 中间intermediary (lit. "middle person")
  • 中间broker (lit. "middle business")

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries