当时 (dāng shí) — at that time, then | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

当时 means 'at that time, then,' referring back to a moment already mentioned. It is a simple time adverb — less literary than 此时的, and more neutral than 当初 ('back at the start').

noun

at that timethen

Examples

当时。
dāng shí Wǒ hái bú rèn shi tā.
At that time I didn't know him yet.
当时。
dāng shí Wǒ men yǐ jīng děng le hěn jiǔ.
At that time we had already waited for a long time.
当时。
dāng shí De qíng kuàng hěn fù zá.
The situation at that time was very complicated.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

当 means to be at, and 时 means time; together they point to that moment.

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.

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 時; 时 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

日日rìsun; day

Sound part声符shēngfú

之

之zhī時shí

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 時 pairs 日 (sun/day) with 之 as the part that gives the sound; the simplified 时 is not the form described.

Appears in

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