当
dāngTraditional 當
when; at the time of
Every meaning
dāng
- when; at the time of
- to act as; to work as
- to face; in front of (as in 当面)
- should; ought to
dàng
- that very (as in 当天)
- to treat as; to regard as
- appropriate; proper (as in 恰当)
- to pawn
- to think (mistakenly)
In a sentence
我长大以后想当医生。
I want to be a doctor when I grow up.
当我回家的时候，天已经黑了。
When I got home, it was already dark.
Written by Claude and checked by our reader.
In the Library
爷爷当了三十年警察，退休十年了。
我当了三十年警察……”
爷爷的秘密 · Grandpa’s secret · HSK 3
豆腐要当妈妈了！
它不是胖 · It isn’t fat at all · HSK 3
Words with 当
Meanings are from Mandarin The Wild’s own dictionary. Levels follow the official HSK word list (the exam’s 2025 syllabus, levels 7–9 shown together).