# Middle scale (中局)

> The middle scale is the intermediate range in reading landform and water: the rise and fall of the land within a few kilometres of the site. It shows where rainwater and the energy of the land flow before reaching the street outside.

- Vietnamese: Trung cuộc
- English: Middle scale
- Chinese: 中局
- Chinese characters: 中局
- Also called: Trung cuộc · Zhong Ju

## Explanation

Contour lines are the main tool here: close lines mean steep ground, wide spacing means flat; water always runs at right angles to the contours, from high to low.

The middle scale links the grand and small scales and explains why two neighbourhoods on the same river can sit on very different ground.

## How Home Check uses it

Home Check reads the middle scale from the terrain around the site and draws contour lines automatically on the map. — [Compass & site reading](https://myhomecheck.ai/compass)

## Related terms

- [Grand scale](https://myhomecheck.ai/learn/glossary/grand-scale): The grand scale is the widest range in reading landform and water: the rivers, lakes and major hills of the whole region around a site.
- [Small scale](https://myhomecheck.ai/learn/glossary/small-scale): The small scale is the range right around the house: the street, lane, yard and drains next to the site.
- [Contours](https://myhomecheck.ai/learn/glossary/contour-lines): Contour lines join points of equal elevation on a terrain map.

## Questions

### Does flat land have a middle scale?

Yes. Even lowlands vary by a few metres, and those small differences decide which way water runs.

### What is needed to read the middle scale?

The site's location and the surrounding terrain; in Home Check, a project with a location is enough.

---  
Original page: https://myhomecheck.ai/learn/glossary/middle-scale  
Other languages: [Tiếng Việt](https://myhomecheck.ai/vi/tri-thuc/thuat-ngu/trung-cuoc/index.md) · [中文](https://myhomecheck.ai/zh/learn/glossary/middle-scale/index.md)  
Updated: 2026-10-21