〜中

The suffix 中 attaches to a noun and has TWO readings with two different meanings — a favorite exam point. Read ちゅう, it means "in the middle of, currently doing": 会議中 (in a meeting), 電話中 (on the phone), 勉強中 (studying), 使用中 (in use — a sign hung on a door). The sentence 父は今、電話中です is a compact way of saying 電話をしています.

Read じゅう, the meaning shifts to "throughout" a span of time or "all over" a space: 一日中 (all day long), 一年中 (all year round), 日本中 (all over Japan), 世界中 (all over the world). Memory trick: ちゅう = a single POINT partway through; じゅう = spread across the WHOLE thing.

There is also the form 〜中に (ちゅう) for a "within" deadline: 今週中に出してください (turn it in within this week; exceptionally, 今日中に is read きょうじゅうに). Compared with 〜ている (be doing), 〜中 is a noun-style expression — compact and slightly formal, very common on signs and short messages; and to say "while A was happening, B occurred" with two clauses, you use 間・間に (see the 〜間に lesson).

Examples

• 父(ちち)は今(いま)、電話中(でんわちゅう)です。

  My dad is on the phone right now.

• 昨日(きのう)は一日中(いちにちじゅう)、雨(あめ)が降(ふ)っていました。

  Yesterday it rained all day long.

• この歌(うた)は世界中(せかいじゅう)で人気(にんき)があります。

  This song is popular all over the world.

Related patterns

• 〜あいだ（に）
• 〜ところです
• 〜までに