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当当 (dāng dāng) — (verb) to pawn (with the correct pronunciation dàng, not dāng)

Definition

当当 (dàng) means to pawn — leave something at a pawnshop for a loan. Note the pronunciation: dàng, not dāng, which means 'to be/act as'.

verb
to pawn (with the correct pronunciation dàng, not dāng)

Examples

  • 当当。
    Tā bǎ shǒu biǎo dāng dāng zài dàng pù lǐ le.
    He pawned his watch at the pawnshop.
  • 当当，。
    Zhǐ néng dāng dāng jǐ gè qián, bù zhí tài duō.
    You can only pawn it for a little money, it's not worth much.
  • 当当？
    Zhè dōng xī néng dāng dāng ma?
    Can this thing be pawned?

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

当dāngpawn
当dāngpawn

当 (pawn) appears twice to mean to pawn things.

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 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 →
Appears in
Money & Currency

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