Not big, not small — somewhere in between. It is a plain, everyday describing word, and you put it in front of a noun: a middle-sized dog, a middle-sized town, a middle-sized box.

Not big, not small — somewhere in between不大也不小——介於中間 It is a plain, everyday describing word這是一個平常、日常的形容詞 and you put it in front of a noun放在名詞前面用 a middle-sized dog, a middle-sized town, a middle-sized box像a middle-sized dog、a middle-sized town、a middle-sized box

People use it when the exact size does not matter and they just want to place the thing in the middle of a range they and the listener both have in mind. That range is never stated, so 'middle-sized' means different things in different sentences: a middle-sized dog is maybe knee-high, a middle-sized country has maybe twenty or thirty million people. The listener fills in the scale.

People use it when the exact size does not matter當確切大小不重要的時候大家會用它 and they just want to place the thing in the middle of a range they and the listener both have in mind只是想把這個東西放在說話者和聽者心裡都有的那個範圍中間 That range is never stated這個範圍從來不會講明 so 'middle-sized' means different things in different sentences所以middle-sized在不同句子裡意思不一樣 a middle-sized dog is maybe knee-highmiddle-sized dog大概是及膝高 a middle-sized country has maybe twenty or thirty million peoplemiddle-sized country大概有兩三千萬人 The listener fills in the scale聽的人自己會把那個尺度補上去

It sounds a little old-fashioned and a little homey now — you meet it more in storybooks and in older people's speech than in the news. In business or writing about companies, people say 'medium-sized' instead ('medium-sized businesses'), and that is much more common today.

It sounds a little old-fashioned and a little homey now它現在聽起來有點老派、有點家常 you meet it more in storybooks and in older people's speech than in the news比起新聞，你更常在故事書和老一輩的口語裡遇到它 In business or writing about companies, people say 'medium-sized' instead在商業或寫公司相關的文章裡，大家會改說medium-sized ('medium-sized businesses')（像medium-sized businesses） and that is much more common today這在今天常見得多

You will also see it written 'middle sized' without the line, but with the line is safer. It is used only before a noun; you would not normally say 'the dog is middle-sized' — you would say 'the dog is medium-sized' or just 'it's not very big'.

You will also see it written 'middle sized' without the line你也會看到寫成middle sized，沒有連字號 but with the line is safer但加連字號比較保險 It is used only before a noun它只用在名詞前面 you would not normally say 'the dog is middle-sized'通常不會說'the dog is middle-sized' — you would say 'the dog is medium-sized' or just 'it's not very big'——你會說'the dog is medium-sized'，或就直接說'it's not very big'