中間
ちゅうかん · chuukan · JLPT N2 · noun
center
中 = middle + 間 = gap or interval, so 中間 is the gap at the center
中 means inside or middle, and 間 means interval or space between. Together they name the point midway between two ends, such as the midpoint of a journey or a stage between start and finish.
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).