当

dāng

Pinyin
dāng
Pinyin (Plain)
dang
Tone
1
Strokes
6
Radical
彐
Readings
dāngdangTone: 1(onom.) dong; ding dong (bell)Order: 0Primary
Stroke Order Code
Speed
Stroke Order Data
["M 523 458 Q 542 692 559 748 Q 563 758 542 775 Q 506 794 481 800 Q 465 804 456 795 Q 449 788 456 771 Q 475 743 476 724 Q 483 598 478 450 C 477 420 521 428 523 458 Z", "M 269 611 Q 314 548 354 524 Q 370 520 383 533 Q 390 546 389 566 Q 380 615 313 641 Q 276 662 258 657 Q 251 656 253 642 Q 253 629 269 611 Z", "M 679 693 Q 664 666 587 573 Q 575 554 596 557 Q 639 581 729 640 Q 751 659 781 671 Q 806 683 793 704 Q 777 725 746 742 Q 718 758 703 756 Q 687 755 692 738 Q 696 716 679 693 Z", "M 712 138 Q 749 339 812 401 Q 834 425 815 448 Q 794 466 727 498 Q 703 508 676 498 Q 597 473 523 458 L 478 450 Q 379 437 280 432 Q 259 431 261 419 Q 264 409 286 400 Q 316 385 359 397 Q 501 418 637 439 Q 673 446 686 431 Q 707 412 701 371 Q 679 241 649 139 C 641 110 706 109 712 138 Z", "M 250 267 Q 219 264 242 245 Q 278 214 308 222 Q 429 244 626 263 Q 638 262 648 275 Q 649 288 625 300 Q 589 322 511 303 Q 483 299 455 292 Q 419 286 250 267 Z", "M 649 139 Q 433 100 261 89 Q 234 88 250 64 Q 257 52 271 47 Q 284 43 303 45 Q 441 70 737 84 Q 752 85 754 96 Q 755 106 716 136 Q 715 137 712 138 L 649 139 Z"]
Meaning
The Chinese character “当” basically means “to be” or “to act as” something (e.g., to serve in a role), and also “should/ought to” when talking about what is right or expected. In other contexts, it can mean “at (a certain time or place)” or “to face/confront,” but its core idea is taking on a role or position in a situation.
Metadata
Locale: en
Cached At: 5/8/2026, 10:21:10 PM

Usage

“当” is very common and learners usually first meet it with the meaning “to work as / to serve as” or “to be (in the role of).” For example, 在中国当老师 (“to work as a teacher in China”), 当司机 (“to be a driver”), or 你当我没说 (“pretend I didn’t say that,” literally “treat it as if I didn’t say it”). It also appears in set phrases like 当然 (“of course”) and 应当 (“should, ought to”). In these, it carries a sense of “proper, appropriate, fitting,” so 当然 literally suggests something is as it should naturally be. Learners also often see “当” meaning “when” or “at (a certain time/moment),” especially in written or more formal language: 当我到家的时候 (“when I got home”), 当时 (“at that time”), 当中 (“in the middle/among”). Another frequent pattern is “对…来说，当…” where it keeps that sense of “regarding, in the face of,” as in 当困难来临的时候，我们要坚持 (“When difficulties come, we must persevere”). In everyday words and phrases, then, “当” most often signals “to act/serve as,” “appropriate/should,” or “when/at the time.”

Handwriting Notes

当 is visually quite compact in handwriting: a short horizontal or slightly curved top stroke, sometimes written almost like a small hook, sits above a central element that looks a bit like a small “田”-shaped box but simplified and open on the bottom, with the final vertical stroke passing through or touching this box and extending slightly below it. In neat handwriting, people often keep the character fairly square, but in casual writing the top stroke may be slanted, the middle “box” can become more rounded or partially open, and the vertical stroke might not align perfectly with the center. Some writers merge corners or shorten strokes so that the inside looks more like a loose cross rather than a clear box, yet the overall silhouette—top mark + central enclosure + through-going vertical—remains recognizable. Modern AI handwriting recognition systems are trained on many such variations, allowing them to reliably identify 当 even when written quickly, with slanting strokes, or with simplified, personal handwriting styles.

Description

当 is a common Chinese character meaning “to be,” “to act as,” or “to serve as,” and also “appropriate” or “proper” in some contexts. It appears in words like 当然 (of course), 当时 (at that time), and 担当 (to undertake). Its pronunciation in modern standard Mandarin is dāng.

Common Words

  • 当然dāngránof course; certainly
  • 当时dāngshíat that time; then
  • 当中dāngzhōngamong; in the middle
  • 当年dāngniánin those years; in those days
  • 当初dāngchūat first; originally
  • 当代dāngdàicontemporary; present age
  • 担当dāndāngto take on; to bear (a responsibility)
  • 担当地dāngdāngdìuprightly; with a clear conscience
  • 当家dāngjiāto manage the household; be in charge (of a family or group)
  • 当兵dāngbīngto serve in the army; be a soldier
  • 当官dāngguānto be an official; take a government post
  • 当地dāngdìlocal; in that place
  • 当天dāngtiānthe same day; that very day
  • 当晚dāngwǎnthat very night; the same evening
  • 当月dāngyuèthat month; the current month
  • 当场dāngchǎngon the spot; right then and there
  • 当面dāngmiànface-to-face; in someone’s presence
  • 当前dāngqiáncurrent; present
  • 当作dàngzuòto treat as; to regard as
  • 当成dàngchéngto consider as; to regard as
  • 当做dàngzuòto take as; to regard as
  • 当选dāngxuǎnto be elected; to win an election
  • 当作业dāng zuòyèto treat as homework/assignment (e.g., reading, exercise)
  • 当作礼物dàngzuò lǐwùto treat as a gift
  • 当中间人dāng zhōngjiànrénto act as a go-between; to be a mediator
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