央

yāng

Definitions

yāng (noun) center; middle

yāng (verb) to beg; to plead

Etymology

Pictograph of a person (大) with a cangue (torture device for punishing criminals) around his neck. People wearing such devices were not able to reach their mouth with their own hands, and were forced to beg for food.

About

The character 央 means 'center' or 'middle.' It originated as an ideograph showing a person (大) with a yoke or cangue placed across their neck or chest. This central positioning of the restricting object on the human form conveys the idea of being at the exact midpoint of a space. While primarily indicating location in geographic contexts, 央 also developed an extended verbal sense meaning 'to plead' or 'to beg,' derived from the posture of a person bound at the center.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

公园在城市的中央。

Gōngyuán zài chéngshì de zhōngyāng.

The park is in the center of the city.

我经常看央视新闻。

Wǒ jīngcháng kàn yāngshì xīnwén.

I often watch CCTV news.

他央求妈妈让他出去玩。

Tā yāngqiú māma ràng tā chūqù wán.

He begged his mother to let him go out to play.

央行宣布了新的政策。

Yāngháng xuānbùle xīn de zhèngcè.

The central bank announced a new policy.

中央政府的决定很重要。

Zhōngyāng zhèngfǔ de juédìng hěn zhòngyào.

The central government's decision is very important.

他央告朋友帮助他。

Tā yānggào péngyou bāngzhù tā.

He implored his friend to help him.

她央求老师再给她一次机会。

Tā yāngqiú lǎoshī zài gěi tā yīcì jīhuì.

She begged the teacher to give her another chance.

中央气象台发布了台风预警。

Zhōngyāng qìxiàngtái fābùle táifēng yùjǐng.

The Central Meteorological Observatory issued a typhoon warning.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 央

央