Chinese word

之间

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhī jiān

Meaning

  • nounbetween

Example

他和我之间没有误会。tā hé wǒ zhī jiān méi yǒu wù huì

There is no misunderstanding between him and me.

Illustration for 之间 (between)

More examples

我和你之间不需要隐瞒。wǒ hé nǐ zhī jiān bù xū yào yǐn mán

There is no need for secrecy between you and me.

Core concept

The middle ground where separate sides meet, differ, or remain apart.

Common phrases

  • 我和你之间wǒ hé nǐ zhī jiān

    between you and me

  • 老师和学生之间lǎo shī hé xué shēng zhī jiān

    between teachers and students

  • 彼此之间bí cǐ zhī jiān

    between one another

Similar words

中间zhōng jiān: The point at the center of an object or location.
里面lǐ miàn: The inner part of an object, area, or space.
当中dāng zhōng: The middle position within a group or partway through a series.

Definition in Chinese

用于表示两点或双方之间存在的联系、差异或时间段。yòng yú biǎo shì liáng diǎn huò shuāng fāng zhī jiān cún zài de lián xì chā yì huò shí jiān duàn

Word origin

之间 (zhījiān, "between") builds on 间 (jiān, "interval") and uses 之 (zhī, "of") to link that interval to the sides it relates, which extends the word to social and abstract relations.

Usage tips

  • The same placement pattern works for people, objects, and periods of time, which helps explain why everyday Chinese uses this word beyond physical locations.

Other meanings

  • amongadverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word