Definition
当众 means 'in public' or 'in front of everybody' — it emphasizes the presence of many people as witnesses. Compare 当面 'face-to-face' (can be just two people, not necessarily public) and 公然 'openly/brazenly' (carries a negative judgment of audacity). 当众 is neutral and simply describes the setting.
adverb
in publicin front of everybody
Easily confused
- 当中dāng zhōngsound-alikeamong (in the middle of a group or set)
Examples
- 。Tā bù gǎn zài huìyì shàng dāng zhòng fāyán.He doesn't dare to speak in public at the meeting.
- 当众。Tā dāng zhòng xuānbù le cízhí de juédìng.She announced her resignation decision in front of everyone.
- 当众，。Nǐ dāng zhòng pīpíng biérén, huì ràng duìfāng hěn nánkān.Criticizing others in public will make them very embarrassed.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.