I keep on hearing the term 「このなかでは」 and 「そのなかでは」from news, but I can't seem to find what it means anywhere. I found a meaning for 中, which is probably what なか refers to, as "while". Does it mean "meanwhile"?
2 Answers
- 中: "inside", "middle", etc.
- この中: "inside of this"
- で: place marker
- は: topic marker
この中では/その中では is used in two ways:
Literally, "Inside this/that"
ここが我々の工場です。この中では缶詰が作られています。
As an established set phrase, "Among these/those"
アメリカには50の州があります。この中ではアラスカの面積が最大です。
According to WWWJDIC, この中で is "amoung these", and the "は" is most likely the topic marker. I would not define 中 as while at all (as in 箱の中に "inside the box")... So literally, I read it as "this (thing) within as for".