The character 当 — “serve as”: how to write it and what it means
serve as; when
The Chinese character 当 is read dāng and means “serve as; when”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 当
当 has 6 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 当, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 当 is made of
当然 — “it must be so”, that is, of course.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 当
- 当然of courseHSK 3
- 当时at that time, thenHSK 4
- 相当quite; correspond toHSK 5
- 当前current, presentHSK 5
- 当地local (there)HSK 5
- 当成take for, treat asHSK 5
- 当作regard as, treat asHSK 5
- 应当should (lit.)HSK 5
- 适当suitable, appropriateHSK 5
- 当中among, in the middleHSK 5
- 当年that year, in those yearsHSK 5
- 当场on the spot, right awayHSK 6
- 当下now, the present moment; right awayHSK 6
- 当今nowadays, at presentHSK 6
- 当代present age, contemporary eraHSK 6
- 当初at that time, originallyHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 当?
当 has 6 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 当 mean?
当 means “serve as; when”. It appears in 当然 (“of course”), 当时 (“at that time”), 相当 (“quite”), 当前 (“current”).
How do you pronounce 当?
当 is read dāng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 当 have?
6 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 当 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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