1.
in the midst of, in the middle of, at the height of
Refers to the very middle of an ongoing action, event, or season. Often emphasizes that something is at its peak or most intense point.
会議の最中に電話が鳴った。
The phone rang in the middle of the meeting.
夏の最中に停電が起きた。
A power outage happened at the height of summer.
試験勉強の最中に友だちから誘いの連絡が来て、集中できなかった。
A friend contacted me with an invitation while I was in the middle of studying for exams, so I couldn't concentrate.
READING NOTE: The same kanji 最中 (read さいちゅう) is more commonly used in everyday speech, especially in the pattern 〜している最中. The reading さなか is more literary.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 〜の最中に: in the midst of ...
- 〜の最中で: in the middle of ...
COMPARISON:
- 最中: literary, emphasizes being at the peak or critical point
- 最中: neutral, common in everyday speech
- 途中: in the middle of (a process, journey)
Related Words
Contrast:
最中 (same kanji, more common reading)