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当场 (dāng chǎng) — on the spot; at the scene

Definition

当场 focuses on an action done immediately at the scene, often in response to an event. Synonyms 当即/当下/现场 stress timing more, while 当面 is face-to-face with a person.

adverb
on the spotat the scene

Examples

  • 当场。
    Tā dāng chǎng fù le qián.
    He paid on the spot.
  • 当场。
    Tā dāng chǎng xiàng gù kè dào qiàn.
    She apologized to the customer on the spot.
  • 当场。
    Wèn tí dāng chǎng jiù jiě jué le.
    The problem was solved on the spot.

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dāngcurrent
场chǎngscene

当 means current or at the time, and 场 means scene, so 当场 points to the scene at that time.

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 →

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 場; 场 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng場chǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 場 pairs 土 (earth) with 昜 as a sound part; the simplified 场 is a later abbreviation, so its parts do not have that historical role.

Open 场 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Time (Abstract)

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