当 (dāng) — (verb) to act as, to serve as, to be; (preposition) at (a time), when, during
Definition
当 (dāng) as a preposition means 'when / at the time of', introducing a time clause. As a verb it means 'to serve as / act as' — equivalent to 充当. Compare 当…的时候 for time vs 在…的时候.
verb
to act asto serve asto be
preposition
at (a time)whenduring
Easily confused
Examples
- 当。Wǒ dāng le sān nián lǎo shī.I worked as a teacher for three years.
- 当，。dāng Nǐ dào de shí hou, gěi wǒ dǎ diàn huà.When you arrive, give me a call.
- 当。Tā dāng yī shēng yǐ jīng shí nián le.He has been a doctor for ten years already.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 當; 当 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.
Grammar
Appears in
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