Japanese word

空中

Pronunciation

Romajikūchū

Meaning

  • nounair

Example

風船が空中に浮かびます。fū sen ga kū chū ni u ka bi ma su

A balloon floats in the air.

Illustration for 空中 (air)

More examples

彼はボールを空中に高く投げます。kare wa bō ru o kū chū ni taka ku na ge ma su

He throws the ball high into the air.

Core concept

Refers to the open space above the ground in which people, animals, or objects can move or remain suspended.

Common phrases

  • 空中に浮くkū chū ni u ku

    float in the air

  • 空中を飛ぶkū chū o to bu

    fly through the air

  • 空中に投げるkū chū ni na ge ru

    throw into the air

Similar words

上空jōkū: The area of the sky located above a particular place or object.
宙chū: A space in which a person or object remains unsupported, with emphasis on suspension or floating.

Definition in Japanese

地面や建物などの上に広がる、空気の存在する空間。ji men ya tate mono na do no ue ni hiro ga ru kū ki no son zai su ru kū kan

Word origin

The compound 空中 (kūchū) consists of 空 (kū, "sky") and 中 (chū, "middle"), referring literally to the middle or open space of the sky.

Usage tips

  • English commonly writes midair as one word in expressions such as a midair collision, while Japanese uses 空中 (kūchū) for the corresponding space.

Other meanings

  • midairnoun
  • skynoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word