Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
Being in the middle of an action or state.
🎯 Primary Function
Expressing that someone is currently performing an action or that a certain state is ongoing.
📋 Grammar Structure
Noun (action/suru-noun) + 中 / Verb (ます-stem) + 中 (limited words)
Not applicable (usually used with nouns).
Not applicable.
Noun + 中 + ではない / じゃない
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Extremely common in business emails, signs, and polite conversations to explain why someone is unavailable.
Informal Situations
Used between friends to explain why they can’t hang out or why they didn’t answer a call.
Written Language
Common on signs, status updates, and formal notices.
Spoken Language
Used frequently as a suffix to nouns to shorten sentences.
💡 Common Applications
Business/Work States
Used to indicate current professional status.
Example: 会議中 (In a meeting), 外出中 (Out of office)
Physical Status of Places
Commonly seen on signs to indicate the current state of a building or business.
Example: 工事中 (Under construction), 営業中 (Open for business)
Telecommunications
Used to describe the current state of a device or communication line.
Example: 話し中 (Line busy), 通信中 (Transmitting)
Frequency
Very High
Difficulty
JLPT N3
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
田中先生は今、会議中です。
Furigana: たなかせんせいはいま、かいぎちゅうです。
Romaji: Tanaka sensei wa ima, kaigichuu desu.
English: Professor Tanaka is currently in a meeting.
Example #2
彼は今、電話中なので、後でかけ直します。
Furigana: かれはいまでんわちゅうなので、あとでかけなおします。
Romaji: Kare wa ima denwachuu na node, ato de kakenaoshimasu.
English: He is on the phone right now, so I will call back later.
Example #3
このトイレは今、清掃中です。
Furigana: このトイレはいませいそうちゅうです。
Romaji: Konoトイレ wa ima, seisouchuu desu.
English: This restroom is currently being cleaned.
Example #4
お食事中のところ失礼いたします。
Furigana: おしょくじちゅうのところしつれいいたします。
Romaji: Oshokujichuu no tokoro shitsurei itashimasu.
English: Excuse me for interrupting your meal.
Example #5
あの店は現在、準備中です。
Furigana: あのみせはげんざい、じゅんびちゅうです。
Romaji: Ano mise wa genzai, junbichuu desu.
English: That shop is currently preparing to open.
Example #6
授業中に携帯電話を使ってはいけません。
Furigana: じゅぎょうちゅうにけいたいでんわをつかってはいけません。
Romaji: Jugyouchuu ni keitai denwa o tsukatte wa ikemasen.
English: You must not use your mobile phone during class.
Example #7
道路が工事中だったので、遠回りをした。
Furigana: どうろがこうじちゅうだったので、とおまわりをした。
Romaji: Douro ga koujichuu datta node, toomawari o shita.
English: The road was under construction, so I had to take a detour.
Example #8
彼は今、外出中です。
Furigana: かれはいま、がいしゅつちゅうです。
Romaji: Kare wa ima, gaishutsuchuu desu.
English: He is currently out of the office.
Example #9
申し込みはただいま受付中です。
Furigana: もうしこみはただいまうけつけちゅうです。
Romaji: Moushikomi wa tadaima uketsukechuu desu.
English: We are currently accepting applications.
Example #10
話し中で電話がつながらない。
Furigana: はなしちゅうででんわがつながらない。
Romaji: Hanashichuu de denwa ga tsunagaranai.
English: The line is busy, so I can’t get through.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Reading Difference (Chuu vs. Juu)
When read as ‘juu’, it means ‘throughout’ or ‘all over’ a space or time. ‘Chuu’ specifically means ‘in the middle of’.
Example: 世界中 (Sekaijuu – All over the world), 一日中 (Ichinichijuu – All day long)
Ongoing Period vs. Immediate Action
While many ‘chuu’ words refer to the immediate moment, some refer to being within a broader period of time.
Example: 休み中 (Yasumichuu – During the holidays)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 食べる中 (taberu chuu)
✅ 食事中 (shokujichuu) or 食べているところ (tabete iru tokoro)
Generally, “chuu” is attached to nouns (Sino-Japanese words), not the dictionary form of verbs.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to Formal depending on the surrounding sentence, but the suffix itself is standard.
Social Situations: Essential for Japanese workplace etiquette when explaining absences.
Regional Variations: None significant.
🔍 Subtle Differences
中 (chuu) vs. 〜ている (te-iru)
‘Chuu’ is more formal and noun-based, often used for official statuses or signs. ‘Te-iru’ is the standard verbal progressive form.
When to use: Use ‘chuu’ for formal status or signs; use ‘te-iru’ for general action description.
中 (chuu) vs. 最中に (saichuu ni)
‘Saichuu ni’ emphasizes that something unexpected happened while in the middle of an action. ‘Chuu’ is just a status.
When to use: Use ‘saichuu ni’ when an interruption occurs.
📝 Conjugation Notes
When attached to a noun, it functions like a noun itself or a ‘no-adjective’ (e.g., 会議中の電話).
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced with a short ‘u’ sound (chū). Be careful not to confuse it with ‘juu’.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘chuu’ as ‘during’ or ‘in the process of’. It’s like the ‘ing’ in English for nouns.
Other Grammar
I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.