當
简 当 · 繁 當Meanings · dong1
- to be
- to act as
- manage
- withstand
- when
- during
- ought
- should
- match equally
- equal
- same
- obstruct
- just at (a time or place)
- on the spot
- just at
- to serve as
- to bear responsibility
- to be in charge of
- to match
- that very (a time interval such as day
- night
- year)
- at the time of
- in front of
- to undertake
Meanings · dong3
- right
- trap
- trick
- pawn
- to regard as
- to pawn
- thought
- fit
- proper
- safe
- appropriate
- to treat as
About these definitions
Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.
Reading & tones
Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.
Same syllable, six tones
Characters whose customary Unihan reading (kCantonese) is this syllable in each tone, chosen as in the tone atlas (2013 standard level, then the number of CC-CEDICT words they form), with CC-Canto 2017's meaning for that reading; a dash means no catalogue character has that reading. Checked syllables (-p, -t, -k) normally carry tones 1, 3 and 6. Character readings, not word readings; no frequency implied.
Written characters
Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.
Mandarin comparison · separate source entries
CC-CEDICT, the Mandarin–English dictionary, lists the same written form:
- 當 dāng CC-CEDICT · Mandarinto be; to act as; manage; withstand; when; during; ought; should; …
- 當 dàng CC-CEDICT · Mandarinat or in the very same...; suitable; adequate; fitting; proper; to replace; to regard as; to think; …
A separate source entry, shown for comparison. The same characters can carry different senses in Mandarin and in Cantonese; zimai does not align these senses.
CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: dang1. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.
Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 30 senses · 2 Cantonese readings
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
dong1 · dong3
Cantonese word readings for 當. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character · Etymology 1
- to face; to turn towards
- to bear; to withstand; to resist
- to undertake; to manage; to take charge of
- to work as; to serve as
- to match equally; to equal; to be equal to
- just at the time of; just happen (to be at a certain moment)
- just at (a place); at or in the very same
- to meet; to happen to
- (literary) still; to be
- to regard something/someone as; to think; to treat something/someone as
- (literary) to make a judgement; to sentence
- ought; should
- gap; space; break
- a surname
character · Etymology 1
- to match; to be equal to
- (obsolete) to lead; to manage
- proper; suitable; adequate; fitting; appropriate
- to regard as; to consider as; to treat as
- to think
- to pawn; to put in pawn
- pawn; something pawned
- pawnshop (often used in names of pawnshops)
- trick; fraud; deception
- (Taiwan, slang, of teachers or professors) to fail someone
character · Etymology 2
- (alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 擋 /挡 (“to block; to obstruct”)
character · Etymology 3
- the same (day etc.)
character · Etymology 4
- to take sides
character · Etymology 5
- (alt-of, alternative) alternative form of 噹 /当 (“clang; clank; ding-dong”)
character · Etymology 6
- A meaningless suffix.
character · Etymology 7
- (Southern Min) at the time; right now; just happen
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack