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当初 (dāng chū) — originally; at that time; in the beginning

Definition

当初 looks back to the starting point of a past event, often to contrast with how things turned out. It is more retrospective than 当时 ('at that time') and more focused on a past decision or situation than 原来.

noun
originallyat that timein the beginning

Examples

  • 当初。
    Wǒ dāng chū méi xiǎng dào huì zhè me chéng gōng.
    I didn't expect it to be so successful at first.
  • 当初。
    dāng chū De jué dìng xiàn zài kàn shì duì de.
    The decision made at that time now seems right.
  • 当初。
    Tā dāng chū zhǐ shì yí gè pǔ tōng gōng rén.
    He was just an ordinary worker originally.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

当dāngat/that
初chūbeginning

当 points to a time, and 初 gives the beginning; together it means at first.

Characters in this word

Most 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng當dāng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

Open 当 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

初 combines 衤 (clothes) and 刀 (knife), showing the start of making clothes by cutting cloth.

Open 初 →
Appears in
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