中心
ちゅうしん · chuushin · JLPT N3 · noun
center
🎯 中心 = middle + heart: the heart of the middle is the center
中 (chuu) means middle and 心 (shin) means heart. The heart of anything is its core, so middle + heart gives center or core. The same compound means center in Chinese (zhōngxīn), as in 市中心, city center.
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).
心 — pictograph of a heart with chambers and aorta
心 is a pictograph showing a stylized heart, with strokes representing the organ's chambers and the aorta at the top. Originally meaning the physical heart, it broadened to cover mind, feelings, and intentions, since ancient Chinese thought located thinking and emotion in the heart.