中
zhōng · HSK 1
middle
🎯 a box 口 with a vertical line 丨 piercing through its center
The character 中 shows a rectangle split exactly down the middle by a vertical stroke — the line marks the center. Same character used in 中国 (Middle Kingdom = China) and 中心 (center/heart).
中 — vertical stroke 丨 through enclosure 口
Pictograph of a banner or pole piercing the center of a target or territory, depicting the idea of 'middle' or 'center'. The horizontal frame represents boundaries, and the vertical line marks the central axis. The meaning extended from spatial center to 'middle, central, China' (中国, the Middle Kingdom).