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中堅

简中坚 · 繁中堅

Mandarin · pinyin zhōng jiān

core
nucleus
backbone

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Characters in this entry

中: zhōng · central; center, middle; in the midst of; hit (target); attain
堅: Look up this written character
坚: jiān · hard, strong, firm; resolute

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–1 · zhong1 jian1

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

中堅 · find source passages ↗ · 中坚 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 3 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zung1 gin1

Cantonese word readings for 中堅. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun

main force; main body of troops
backbone; core; key figure
(Hong Kong, soccer) centre-back

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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