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When to read a character as 中{なか}, and when to read it as 中{ちゅう}?
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-12T16:33:30.617
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question
word-choice kanji
中{なか} vs 中{ちゅう}
I may be wrong, sorry for that. But I think that 中{なか} can be used by itself.
For example: 猫{ねこ}は部屋{へや}の中{なか}にいます。 - Cat is in a room. (lit. Cat exists in a
room.)  
Whereas 中{ちゅう} can't be used by itself but must be a part of a word. For
example: 中{ちゅう}学{がく}生{せい} - Middle school student.

I think that's it. By the way: 中{なか} is kun-reading, and 中{ちゅう} - on-reading.
Kun-readings are mostly used by themselves but on-readings, in most cases, are
part of a word(s).
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-13T00:18:14.697
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answer
「中」（ちゅう） is an 音読み ( _onyomi_ ) so it is [used in multi- _kanji_ compound
words and words that do not end in
_hiragana_](http://www.tofugu.com/2010/03/23/the-types-of-kanji-in-japanese-
onyomi-vs-kunyomi/) （途中 [ _tochuu_ ], 午前中 [ _gozenchuu_ ], 中心 [ _chuushin_ ],
中途半端 [ _chuutohanpa_ ]）.

「中」（なか） can be a stand-alone word in a sentence. However, it can also be used
in combinations （仲良し [ _nakayoshi_ ], 仲直り [ _nakanaori_ ], 真夜中 [ _mayonaka_
]), place names （中野区 [Nakano- _ku_ ], 中川区 [Nakagawa- _ku_ ]), and surnames （田中
[Tanaka], 中西 [Nakanishi]), etc.

If you are in a situation where you need to guess on the pronunciation in a
multi- _kanji_ compound word, guess なか if it is the first _kanji_ in the word
and guess ちゅう if it is the last _kanji_ in the word.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-13T01:36:13.837
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answer