(さなか)

さなか
noun
in the midst of; in the middle of; at the height of
writtentime-general
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.
The phone rang in the middle of the meeting.
A power outage happened at the height of summer.
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(さいちゅう) (read さいちゅう) is more commonly used in everyday speech, especially in the pattern 〜している最中(さいちゅう). The reading さなか is more literary.

Common patterns

  • 最中(さなか): in the midst of ...
  • 最中(さなか): in the middle of ...

Similar words

  • 最中(さなか): literary, emphasizes being at the peak or critical point
  • 最中(さいちゅう): neutral, common in everyday speech
  • 途中(とちゅう): in the middle of (a process, journey)