中身

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
中	身
なか Grade: 1	み Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) なか​み [nàkáꜜmì] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [na̠ka̠mʲi]

Noun

中(なか)身(み) • (nakami) 

1. physical contents

   箱(はこ)の中身(なかみ)はなんだろな？

   Hako no nakami wa nandaro na?

   what's in the box? (party game)

   (literally, “the contents of the box is what?”)

2. contents, substance (of speech, etc.)

   中身(なかみ)のない会話(はなし)

   nakami no nai hanashi

   empty conversation

   (literally, “conversation without substance”)

3. blade of a sword

Synonyms

• 内容(ないよう) (naiyō)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
中	身
ちゅう Grade: 1	しん Grade: 3
on’yomi

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ちゅうしん [chùúshíń] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [t͡ɕɨᵝːɕĩɴ]

Noun

中(ちゅう)身(しん) • (chūshin) 

1. medium (clarification of this definition is needed)

Coordinate terms

• 大身(たいしん) (taishin, “large”), 小身(しょうしん) (shōshin, “small”)