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JLPT N3 · Sentence patterns

を中心（ちゅうしん）に (o chuushin ni)

～を中心に — centered on ～

In short · Shows that something spreads, happens or is organized with ～ as its center or main part: “centered on, mainly.” It follows a noun, and the second half is an action or state that extends around that center.
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Pattern

  • 名詞＋を中心に（して） noun + を中心に: spreading outward from a center
  • 名詞＋を中心とした／とする＋名詞 noun-modifying form (若者を中心とした計画)

Two uses

One marks the center of a place (駅を中心に町が広がる) and the other marks the main target or people in charge (若い人を中心に進められた). It also works for the center of a rotation (太陽を中心に回る).

Form and cautions

を中心に modifies a verb; to modify a noun use を中心とした／を中心とする (駅を中心とした地域). A little more formal is を中心にして. It implies that this is where there is the most or the strongest, not that it is everyone.

Examples

  • 駅（えき）を中心（ちゅうしん）に、町（まち）が広（ひろ）がっている。

    Eki o chūshin ni, machi ga hirogatte iru.

    The town spreads out centered on the station.

    The center of a place.

  • この計画（けいかく）は、若（わか）い人（ひと）を中心（ちゅうしん）に進（すす）められた。

    Kono keikaku wa, wakai hito o chūshin ni susumerareta.

    This project was carried out centered on young people.

    Main people involved, not everyone.

  • 地球（ちきゅう）は太陽（たいよう）を中心（ちゅうしん）に回（まわ）っている。

    Chikyū wa taiyō o chūshin ni mawatte iru.

    The earth revolves around the sun as its center.

    The center of movement.

Common mistakes

  • To modify a noun use を中心とした, not を中心に: × 駅を中心に町, ○ 駅を中心とした町.
  • It points to the biggest or strongest part, not “all of them.”

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