当差 (dāng chāi) — (in old China) serve as a petty official or orderly; be on duty; perform one's duties

Definition

Historical/archaic term: in old China, 'to serve as a low-ranking orderly or petty official', typically delivering documents or running errands at a yamen. In modern use, 当差 simply means 'to be on duty' (e.g., on shift at the office).

verb
(in old China) serve as a petty official or orderlybe on dutyperform one's duties

Examples

  • 当差，。
    Tā zài xiàn yá men lǐ dāng chāi, fù zé sòng gōng wén.
    He served as an orderly in the county yamen, responsible for delivering official documents.
  • ，。
    Yǐ qián tā zài gōng lǐ dāng guò chà, jiàn guò hěn duō dà rén wù.
    He used to serve in the palace and met many important figures.
  • 当差，。
    Jīn tiān lún dào tā zài bàn gōng shì dāng chāi, bù néng zǎo zǒu.
    Today it's his turn to be on duty in the office, so he can't leave early.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

当dāngserve
差chàduty

当 (serve) + 差 (duty) means performing assigned duties.

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.

  • 來來láiwheat
  • 𠂇𠂇𠂇left hand

差 pairs 來 (wheat) with 𠂇 (left hand), showing wheat rubbed in a hand to remove its hull.

Open 差 →

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