What are the differences between 間中{あいだじゅう} and 間{あいだ}?


I recently learned different usages of both kanji and I saw it is possible to
use the combination of both. It seems to me that 間中{あいだじゅう} isn't a new word.
(The other readings don't matter now.)

Here are a couple of examples which contain 間中{あいだじゅう}:

> 山田さん は テレビ を 見{み}ている間中{あいだじゅう} 食{た}べていました。  
>  Mr. Yamada was eating while watched the TV.

> デートの間中{あいだじゅう} 天気{てんき} が 悪{わる}かった。  
>  The weather was bad during the date.

I know these examples have the same meaning if I leave out 中{じゅう} because in
this case 間{あいだ} still expresses that the statement happened from the start to
end of the particular period. So I think here 中{じゅう} has been used to
emphasize the fact that the statement happened for the whole particular
period. Am I right?




You are right, 間中 is more emphatic, and indicates something happens from the
start to the end of the period. Most of the time, you can translate ～の間 simply
as "during ～", and ～の間中 as "throughout ～", "all through ～" or "during the
entire ～". ずっと has the same function.

  * 夜の間  
during the night

  * 夜の間中 / 夜の間ずっと / 夜の間中ずっと  
all through the night / throughout the night / during the entire night

  * 寝ている間  
while sleeping

  * 寝ている間中 / 寝ている間ずっと / 寝ている間中ずっと  
the entire time one is sleeping / the whole time sleeping




You are right, 間中 is more emphatic, and indicates something happens from the
start to the end of the period. Most of the time, you can translate ～の間 simply
as "during ～", and ～の間中 as "throughout ～", "all through ～" or "during the
entire ～". ずっと has the same function.

  * 夜の間  
during the night

  * 夜の間中 / 夜の間ずっと / 夜の間中ずっと  
all through the night / throughout the night / during the entire night

  * 寝ている間  
while sleeping

  * 寝ている間中 / 寝ている間ずっと / 寝ている間中ずっと  
the entire time one is sleeping / the whole time sleeping

