<p>I think there's a couple more important distinctions. </p>

<p>中间 is used for when talking about the <strong>physical</strong> location being in the center/between.</p>

<p>ie. You would say:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>箱子的<strong>中间</strong>有个人。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>之间 is used when <strong>abstract</strong> things are in the center/between. This applies to things like numbers.</p>

<p>ie. You would say:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我们之间没有爱。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here's a specific example of how the two words have a different meaning.</p>

<p>我们中间有障碍。 : There are (physical) obstacles between us.</p>

<p>我们之间有障碍。 : There are (mental) obstacles between us.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-24T12:06:15.347Z
2015-05-24T12:06:15.347Z
Ringil
<p>To me，中间could also mean &quot;between&quot; (no more than 2 things/persons), while it could also mean &quot;among&quot; if you are talking about more than 2 objects.</p>
<p>Like 我和他中间 is perfectly fine to use.</p>
<p>But 中间 seems to emphasize on &quot;right in the center between two objects&quot;.
while 之间 just says &quot;anywhere between two objects&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2015-05-23T18:50:09.877Z
2021-12-27T17:05:56.847Z
2021-12-27T17:05:56.847Z
Nyaruko
<p>之间 - in, during</p>

<p>中间 - middle, center</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-24T02:47:36.437Z
2015-08-24T02:47:36.437Z
Sitan
<p>之间： Logically in between.
中间： Phasically in between.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-24T04:40:57.480Z
2015-08-24T04:40:57.480Z
sotondolphin
<p>I agree Ringil's answer, and I wanna add some inner meaning.
try to feel following sentence</p>

<p>我们中间有奸细。 : There is a spy among us(/There are spies among us). (but not me.....)</p>

<p>我们中间有坏人。 : There is a jerk among us(/There are bad guys among us). (but not me......)</p>

<p>我们之间有障碍。 : There are (mental) obstacles between us.(You and me)</p>

<p>我们之间没有爱。 : There is no love between us.(You and me)</p>

<p>朋友之间要互相帮助。: One must help your friends when he's facing some difficulties.(I agree, and I will do this)</p>

<p>so when you are trying to express some information that you will emotionally and subjectively agree with, we often use "之间".</p>

<p>when you are trying to express some truely existed, objective and you strongly confirmed (after inferentially considering), we may use "中间".</p>

<p>Try to feel the atmosphere when you are talking, if you wanna be closer to the person you are talking with, use "    " which one? if you can answer it, I think you may understand what I want to explain..
Hope it will help you...cheers.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-25T11:16:29.557Z
2015-05-25T11:16:29.557Z
Kylxyz
<p>之间 - &quot;in-between&quot;. Usually refers to in between two persons - 在我和他之间...</p>
<p>中间 - &quot;in the middle&quot;, &quot;within&quot;, also can mean &quot;between&quot;. Usually refers to within a group of people, or something physically in-between two objects.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>把那張椅子放在中间 - Leave/put the chair in the middle.</p>
</li>
<li><p>在我們中间有人不同意 - Someone among/within us disagrees.</p>
</li>
<li><p>站在我們中間的是小梅 - The girl standing in between us (me and xx) is 小梅.</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-27T18:18:50.530Z
2021-12-27T19:46:26.183Z
2021-12-27T19:46:26.183Z
r13
<p>之间 means between (no more than 2), so these are acceptable:</p>

<ul>
<li>我和他之间</li>
<li>我们之间 (between us two)</li>
</ul>

<p>Not acceptable:</p>

<ul>
<li>学生们之间</li>
</ul>

<p>中间 means among (more than 2), so this is acceptable:</p>

<ul>
<li>学生们之间</li>
</ul>

<p>And this isn't:</p>

<ul>
<li>我和他之间</li>
</ul>

<p>I'm trying to understand the difference between 之间 and 中间，is the above right? Moreover are 中间 and 中 the same（我们中（间））？</p>

<word-choice><usage><difference>
What's the difference between 之间 and 中间?
# What's the difference between 之间 and 中间?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-05-23)

之间 means between (no more than 2), so these are acceptable:

* 我和他之间
* 我们之间 (between us two)

Not acceptable:

* 学生们之间

中间 means among (more than 2), so this is acceptable:

* 学生们之间

And this isn't:

* 我和他之间

I'm trying to understand the difference between 之间 and 中间，is the above right? Moreover are 中间 and 中 the same（我们中（间））？

**Tags:** word-choice, usage, difference

---

## 6 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-05-24. Score: 3

I think there's a couple more important distinctions.

中间 is used for when talking about the **physical** location being in the center/between.

ie. You would say:

> 箱子的**中间**有个人。

之间 is used when **abstract** things are in the center/between. This applies to things like numbers.

ie. You would say:

> 我们之间没有爱。

Here's a specific example of how the two words have a different meaning.

我们中间有障碍。 : There are (physical) obstacles between us.

我们之间有障碍。 : There are (mental) obstacles between us.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-05-23. Score: 2

To me，中间could also mean "between" (no more than 2 things/persons), while it could also mean "among" if you are talking about more than 2 objects.

Like 我和他中间 is perfectly fine to use.

But 中间 seems to emphasize on "right in the center between two objects".
while 之间 just says "anywhere between two objects".


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-08-24. Score: 0

之间 - in, during

中间 - middle, center


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-08-24. Score: 0

之间： Logically in between.
中间： Phasically in between.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-05-25. Score: 0

I agree Ringil's answer, and I wanna add some inner meaning.
try to feel following sentence

我们中间有奸细。 : There is a spy among us(/There are spies among us). (but not me.....)

我们中间有坏人。 : There is a jerk among us(/There are bad guys among us). (but not me......)

我们之间有障碍。 : There are (mental) obstacles between us.(You and me)

我们之间没有爱。 : There is no love between us.(You and me)

朋友之间要互相帮助。: One must help your friends when he's facing some difficulties.(I agree, and I will do this)

so when you are trying to express some information that you will emotionally and subjectively agree with, we often use "之间".

when you are trying to express some truely existed, objective and you strongly confirmed (after inferentially considering), we may use "中间".

Try to feel the atmosphere when you are talking, if you wanna be closer to the person you are talking with, use " " which one? if you can answer it, I think you may understand what I want to explain..
Hope it will help you...cheers.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2021-12-27. Score: 0

之间 - "in-between". Usually refers to in between two persons - 在我和他之间...

中间 - "in the middle", "within", also can mean "between". Usually refers to within a group of people, or something physically in-between two objects.

* 把那張椅子放在中间 - Leave/put the chair in the middle.
* 在我們中间有人不同意 - Someone among/within us disagrees.
* 站在我們中間的是小梅 - The girl standing in between us (me and xx) is 小梅.


---

