1.
in the middle of; right in the midst of; during
Indicates being right in the middle of an action or situation, often when something unexpected happens or interrupts. Stronger than just 'during' — it emphasizes the exact moment within an ongoing activity.
食事の最中に電話が鳴った。
The phone rang in the middle of my meal.
会議の最中に地震が起きた。
An earthquake occurred in the middle of the meeting.
試験勉強の最中に友達が遊びに来て困った。
A friend came to hang out right when I was studying for exams, which was a problem.
Composed of 最中 (in the midst of) and the particle に. Often used when an interruption or unexpected event occurs during an ongoing activity.
GRAMMAR:
Attaches to nouns or verb dictionary form + の:
- 食事の最中に: in the middle of eating
- 話している最中に: in the middle of talking
- 寝ている最中に: while sleeping
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
- ～中に: during — more neutral, less emphasis on 'right in the middle'
- ～ている途中で: halfway through — emphasis on the midpoint of a process
- ～最中だ: to be in the middle of (predicative) — 今まさに作業の最中だ (I'm right in the middle of work)
CAUTION:
Do not confuse 最中 (in the middle of) with 最中 (a traditional Japanese wafer cake filled with bean paste). Same kanji, different readings and meanings.