Methods, systems, and devices are described for direct current (DC) subcarrier handling for narrowband user equipment (UE). A UE may identify a narrow bandwidth region allocated for operation within a wide bandwidth carrier, determine that the narrow bandwidth region is centered about a different frequency than a center subcarrier of the wide bandwidth carrier, and, accordingly, select an operating mode. Various operating modes may include down-converting a carrier frequency of the allocated narrow bandwidth region. A base station may support narrowband UE operation by determining that the narrow bandwidth region is centered about a different frequency than a center subcarrier of the wide bandwidth carrier and rate matching subcarriers of the narrow bandwidth region around tones of a center frequency of the narrow bandwidth region.