空中

• Pinyin: kōng zhōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 空 = 穴 (cave) + 工 (work), originally meaning hollow/empty; 中 = a line through a rectangle, meaning middle

Meaning

In the air; in the sky; mid-air. The space above the ground.

Refers to the atmosphere or sky above us. Used for describing things flying, floating, or happening in the air. Also appears in compound words like 空中小姐 (flight attendant), 空中交通 (air traffic), and 空中花园 (hanging garden).

Examples

1. 风筝在空中飞得很高。 The kite is flying very high in the sky.
2. 飞机在空中遇到了强烈的气流颠簸。 The airplane encountered severe turbulence in the air.
3. 烟花在空中绽放，美丽极了。 Fireworks bloomed in the sky, absolutely beautiful.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, aviation, descriptive

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 鸟儿在空中自由飞翔。(Birds fly freely in the sky.)
• 空中飘着几朵白云。(A few white clouds are floating in the sky.)

Don't Say

• 我在空中走路。(Unless you're actually flying, don't use 空中 for regular movement)

Origin & History

空 (kōng, empty/sky) + 中 (zhōng, middle/in). Together they mean 'in the empty space above' or 'in the sky.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal