当
Traditional: 當
dàng HSK 4

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

他当老师。
Tā dāng lǎoshī.
He works as a teacher.
我当学生的时候很忙。
Wǒ dāng xuéshēng de shíhou hěn máng.
When I was a student, I was very busy.
她当医生或者护士。
Tā dāng yīshēng huòzhě hùshi.
She works as a doctor or nurse.
我当老师。
Wǒ dāng lǎoshī.
I work as a teacher.
他当医生。
Tā dāng yīshēng.
He works as a doctor.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 当 as 'at the moment when'—imagine a clock striking 'dang' to mark a precise time. Associate it with the pattern '当...时' as a set phrase for 'when.'

📝 Usage Notes

This usage of 当 is common in both written and spoken Chinese, though it is slightly more formal in tone. It is often used in narratives, descriptions, and formal contexts to specify timing, typically followed by a clause with 时 or 的时候 (meaning 'when').

📖 Grammar Points

Common structure: 当 + [subject + verb phrase] + 时/的时候, + [main clause]. Example: 当他到家时，他的妻子已经睡着了。 (When he arrived home, his wife was already asleep.) It can also be used without 时 in some fixed expressions, but 时/的时候 is typical.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In classical Chinese, 当 had broader uses, but in modern Mandarin, this prepositional usage is straightforward without strong cultural nuances. It appears in proverbs or formal speeches to denote timing.

🔄 Similar Words

Similar to 在 (zài) when indicating time, but 当 is more specific to 'just at that moment' and often used with 时/的时候. Compared to 的时候 alone (e.g., 到家的时候), 当 adds a slightly more formal or literary emphasis.

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