How to use 当中
(在 +) Group / Process + 当中
当中 locates something within a group, situation, or process. After a group phrase, it can introduce members being singled out or define the set within which a comparison is made. This is useful with descriptions such as the most capable person among a known set. The group belongs before 当中 rather than after it.
With an activity or process, 当中 can mean in the course of that activity. 在 may introduce the complete phrase, especially when it frames the following comment. The word does not necessarily identify the exact physical center or the halfway point in time. Decide whether the sentence concerns membership in a set, a comparison within it, or involvement in an ongoing process.
Examples with pinyin and English
你是我所有朋友当中最聪明的一个。
Of all of my friends, you are the smartest one.
在这一百个选手当中我表现得最出色。
Among these one hundred contestants, my performance was the most outstanding.
他们当中很多都是上海人。
Among them, there are many Shanghainese.
五个人当中有一个人是小偷。
Of the five people, one of them is a thief.
What to remember
- Place the group or process before 当中.
- 在 can introduce the complete frame.
- 当中 need not mean an exact midpoint.
Practise the pattern
Practise this topic with the app’s grammar exercises. Your answers and review dates are saved separately from vocabulary practice.
Practise this grammar topic ↗Look up the grammar words
Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.