TongTong
Sign in

当日 (dāng rì) — the same day; that very day

Definition

当日 (dāngrì) means 'that very day / the same day,' usually referring back to a day already mentioned — more formal/literary than 当天. Pair with 今日 and 即日 (formal 'today/this very day'); contrast with 次日 ('the following day').

noun
the same daythat very day

Examples

  • 当日，。
    Wǒ men dāng rì chū fā, dì èr tiān jiù dào le.
    We set out that very day and arrived the next day.
  • 当日。
    dāng rì De bào zhǐ yǐ jīng mài wán le.
    The same day's newspapers are already sold out.
  • 当日。
    Tā dāng rì jiù shōu dào le huí fù.
    He received a reply that very day.

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dāngthis/same
日rìday

当 points to the relevant time and 日 means day, giving that very day.

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

日 originally drew the sun. A mark was added inside to tell it apart from similar square shapes.

Open 日 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Days & Weeks

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.