中(なか)をIn, On, Into, Inside of

Structure

Noun + の + 中(なか)を

Details

About 中を

Coming from the base meaning of the noun 中(なか) meaning 'inside', the addition of the case marking particleを in its role of identifying the place where an action is taking place creates a grammar structure that can be translated as 'doing (B) in (A)', 'doing (B) on (A)', or 'doing (B) inside of (A)'.

With this grammar point, (B) will be the action, while (A) will be a noun indicating the location.

Caution

The person or thing that is doing the action that 中(なか)を is indicating may not actually be within the noun being marked with (A). A good example of this is 'doing (B) into (A)', such as with the う-Verb 覗(のぞ)く 'to peek'.

Examples

--:--

トンネルの中(なか)を覗(のぞ)く。

I will peer into a tunnel.

鍋(なべ)の中(なか)を洗(あら)う。

I will wash the inside of a pot.

家(いえ)の中(なか)を猫(ねこ)が駆(か)け回(まわ)っている。

The cat is running around the inside of the house.

ペットボトルの中(なか)をちゃんと洗(あら)ってください。

Please wash the inside of the plastic bottle.

人混(ひとご)みの中(なか)を歩(ある)くのは大変(たいへん)です。

It is hard to walk within a crowd of people.

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- 中を and 中では
  Japanese Test 4 You

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中を – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (5 in total)

Pushindawood
in・on・into
inside of
Structure
- Verb + 中を
- Verb[た] + 中を
- いAdj + 中を
- Noun・の + 中を
View on Bunpro
jakedesu2010
Is the difference between 中に and 中を that 中に is used for the existence of something, while 中を is used to show that an action occurred inside a place？There is no explanation for this grammar pattern, but this seems to be the case. Can anyone provide more insight?
Fuga
Hey there! Yes 中に is used when something exists inside something, because of how に is used to describe the ‘end-point’ of an action. Unlike に, を is used to describe the thing where the action is being performed ‘through’.

家の中に猫がいる。There is a cat in the house.
家の中を猫が歩く。A cat walks inside the house. (The inside of the house is the object that ‘walking’ is performed through.)

You can find a more in-depth explanation in the information section for を and に.

We hope that this answers your question!
devonhollowood
Could you instead say 「家の中で猫が歩く」? If so, how would the meaning change (using で vs. を)?
Fuga
Hey there! You could say 家の中で猫が歩く,but there is a slight difference in nuance.
The sentence using で has the nuance of the cat just walking somewhere in the house, while the sentence using を has the nuance of the cat ‘traveling’ or walking around the house.
devonhollowood
Ah, that makes sense. Thanks!