1.
central part; center; middle section
The middle area or section of a physical space, region, object, or structure. Used for geographical locations, buildings, documents, and other things that have a discernible center.
島の中央部に山がある。
There is a mountain in the central part of the island.
建物の中央部にエレベーターがある。
There is an elevator in the center of the building.
アフリカ大陸の中央部には広大な熱帯雨林が広がっている。
A vast tropical rainforest stretches across the central part of the African continent.
Compound of 中央 (center) + 部 (part/section). A straightforward spatial term that is common in descriptions of geography, architecture, and layout. Slightly more formal and precise than 真ん中 (the very center).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 都市の中央部: the central part of a city
- 日本の中央部: central Japan
- 胸の中央部: the center of the chest
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 中心部: the core/heart — emphasizes being the most important or active area, not just spatially central
- 真ん中: the very middle — more colloquial and emphatic
- 中央: center — the base word without 部, used more broadly including for abstract concepts like government