当 dāng act as
act as; when; work as
dāng (act as) and dàng (proper; treat as) - 当老师, 上当 shàngdàng
How to remember 当: ⺌ small + 𫜹 snout = act as. For the school play, the small boy straps on a pink pig snout, thrilled to act as the farmer's best pig.
Component breakdown
当 = ⺌ small + 𫜹 snout
- ⺌ small
- 𫜹 snout
For the school play, the small boy straps on a pink pig snout, thrilled to act as the farmer's best pig.
How it came to be
The full form is air rising through a window, over a field: one field set against another as equal in value. Matching, and so fitting, and so what ought to be.
How it is used
- Read dāng it means to act as, or at the time of - 当老师 (dāng lǎoshī) be a teacher, 当时 (dāngshí) back then, 当地 (dāngdì) local.
- Read dàng it means proper, to treat as, or to pawn - 当作 (dàngzuò) regard as, 上当 (shàngdàng) be duped, 当铺 (dàngpù) pawnshop.
- dāng-as-'when' frames a moment: 当我到的时候 (dāng wǒ dào de shíhou) when I arrived.
- Common trap: 上当 (be cheated) and 当作 both take the dàng (4th tone) reading.
Characters built with 当
Words with 当
- 当然dāngránof courseHSK 3
- 当时dāngshíthenHSK 4
- 应当yīngdāngshouldHSK 5
- 当中dāngzhōngamongHSK 5
- 当作dàngzuòto treat asHSK 5
- 当前dāngqiánthe present timeHSK 5
- 当地dāngdìlocalHSK 5
- 当年dāngniánin those daysHSK 5
- 当成dàngchéngto consider asHSK 5
- 相当xiāngdāngequivalent toHSK 5
- 适当shìdàngsuitableHSK 5
- 上当shàngdàngtaken in (by somebody's deceit)HSK 6
- 当下dāngxiàimmediatelyHSK 6
- 当今dāngjīnthe present timeHSK 6
- 当代dāngdàithe present ageHSK 6
- 当初dāngchūat that timeHSK 6
- 当场dāngchǎngat the sceneHSK 6
- 当天dàngtiānthe same dayHSK 6
- 当选dāngxuǎnto be electedHSK 6
- 当面dāngmiànto somebody's faceHSK 6
- 恰当qiàdàngappropriateHSK 6
- 不当búdàngunsuitableHSK 7
- 不敢当bùgǎndāngliterally I dare not (accept the honor)HSK 7
- 当事人dāngshìrénpersons involved or implicatedHSK 7
- 当众dāngzhòngin publicHSK 7
- 当务之急dāngwùzhījítop priority jobHSK 7
- 当即dāngjíat onceHSK 7
- 当心dāngxīnto take careHSK 7
- 当日dāngrìon that dayHSK 7
- 当晚dàngwǎnthe same eveningHSK 7
- 当真dàngzhēnto take seriouslyHSK 7
- 得当dédàngappropriateHSK 7
- 担当dāndāngto take upon oneselfHSK 7
- 正当zhèngdànghonestHSK 7
- 理所当然lǐsuǒdāngránas it should be by rights (idiom)HSK 7
- 充当chōngdāngto serve asHSK 8
- 势不可当shìbùkědāngimpossible to resist (idiom)HSK 8
- 妥当tuǒdàngappropriateHSK 8
- 当之无愧dāngzhīwúkuìfully deserving, without any reservationsHSK 8
- 当机立断dāngjī-lìduànto make prompt decisions (idiom)HSK 8
Example sentences
- 她想当老师。 Tā xiǎng dāng lǎoshī.She wants to become a teacher.
- 我将来想当医生。 Wǒ jiānglái xiǎng dāng yīshēng.I want to be a doctor in the future.
- 当然可以！ Dāngrán kěyǐ!Of course it's okay!
- 当时我不在公司。 Dāngshí wǒ bú zài gōngsī.I wasn't in the company at that time.