中黒(なかぐろ)

なかぐろ
noun
interpunct; middle dot (・)
language
1. interpunct; middle dot (・)
The Japanese punctuation mark (・) placed at the center of the line, used to separate items in a list, mark boundaries in katakana words, or indicate an abbreviation.
中黒(なかぐろ)で区切(くぎ)る。
To separate with an interpunct.
カタカナの人名(じんめい)は中黒(なかぐろ)で姓(せい)と名(めい)を分(わ)ける。
In katakana names, an interpunct separates the surname and given name.
並列(へいれつ)する語(ご)を列挙(れっきょ)するとき、読点(とうてん)の代(か)わりに中黒(なかぐろ)を使(つか)うことがある。
When listing parallel terms, an interpunct is sometimes used instead of a comma.

Also called 中点(なかてん) or 中ポツ(なかぽつ). The character 中(なか) means "middle" and 黒(ぐろ) means "black (dot)," describing its appearance as a dot positioned in the middle of the line.

Usage

The 中黒(なかぐろ) (・) serves several functions in Japanese writing:

  • Separating items in a list: 赤(あか)・青(あお)・黄(き)
  • Marking word boundaries in katakana: マイケル・ジャクソン
  • Separating parallel or contrasting items: 和(わ)・洋(よう)
  • Indicating date components: 2024・3・15

Common collocations

Related words

  • 読点(とうてん) — comma (、); the standard Japanese comma
  • 句点(くてん) — period (。); the Japanese full stop
  • 中点(なかてん) — interpunct; an alternative name for the same mark

Related Words

Related: 読点(とうてん) (comma)
Related: 句点(くてん) (period)
general
Added 2026.3.31 0:16 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
20500/20765_nakaguro