～最中
in the middle of
～最中（さいちゅう）pinpoints the very middle of an ongoing action, and is almost always used when something unexpected interrupts it. It is formed as Verb ている + 最中に or Noun + の最中に, and maps to English “right in the middle of ...”. (Careful with the reading: the same kanji read もなか is a wafer sweet, here it is always さいちゅう.)
1. Noun + の最中に
The noun names the activity that was underway when the interruption hit.
食事の最中に電話が鳴った。
“The phone rang right in the middle of dinner.”
- 食事（しょくじ）= meal
- の = linking particle
- 最中（さいちゅう）= the very middle (of)
- に = time marker
- 電話（でんわ）= phone (call)
- が = subject marker
- 鳴った（なった）= rang
2. Verb ている + 最中に
With a verb, use the ている form before 最中に. The action must be in progress at that moment.
シャワーを浴びている最中に、お湯が止まってしまった。
“Right in the middle of my shower, the hot water cut out.”
- シャワー = shower
- を = object marker
- 浴びている（あびている）= am taking (a shower)
- お湯（おゆ）= hot water
- が = subject marker
- 止まってしまった（とまってしまった）= stopped (regrettably)
How to form it
Verb ている + 最中に / Noun + の最中に
- 食事（しょくじ）= meal → 食事の最中に（しょくじのさいちゅうに）= right in the middle of a meal
- 話している（はなしている）= is talking → 話している最中に（はなしているさいちゅうに）= right in the middle of talking
- 会議（かいぎ）= meeting → 会議の最中に（かいぎのさいちゅうに）= right in the middle of a meeting
Key idea
～最中 freezes an action at its midpoint and says “exactly then”. What comes next is typically the interruption that broke into it.
Other N2 grammar
Updated .