Meaning of 当初
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- at that time
- originally
How to use 当初
当初 refers back to the start of a situation, often to compare it with how things turned out. It often carries a sense of regret or reflection. Example: 早知今日，何必当初。(Zǎo zhī jīnrì, hébì dāngchū.) If I had known it would come to this, why did I do it in the first place?
当 (dāng) means "at" or "right at" a time, and 初 (chū) means "beginning". So 当初 is "at the beginning", the moment when something first started.
Common mistake: Learners often use 当初 and 当时 (dāngshí) as if they were the same. 当时 just means "at that time", while 当初 points to the original moment or decision, usually contrasted with now. Also keep 当 in the first tone here, not the fourth tone dàng.
当初 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
当 dāng · to be · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
初 chū · at first · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
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- 4
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- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 当初.
| 当时 | dāngshí | then; at that time |
| 当然 | dāngrán | only natural; as it should be |
| 相当 | xiāngdāng | equivalent to; appropriate |
| 当中 | dāngzhōng | among; in the middle |
| 当地 | dāngdì | local |
| 应当 | yīngdāng | should; ought to |
| 初步 | chūbù | initial; preliminary |
| 初中 | chūzhōng | junior high school (abbr. for 初級中學|初级中学[chu1 ji2 zhong1 xue2]) |
| 初级 | chūjí | junior; primary |
| 年初 | niánchū | beginning of the year |
| 初一 | chūyī | first year in junior middle school; first day of a lunar month |
| 最初 | zuìchū | first; primary |
Questions about 当初
What does 当初 mean?
当初 (dāngchū) means "at that time; originally" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 当初?
当初 is made of 2 characters: 当 (6 strokes), 初 (7 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 当初 an HSK word?
Yes. 当初 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 当初 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 当初 is written 當初.
Can I use 当初 to talk about the future?
No. 当初 only looks back at the past, specifically at how something began. For a future starting point, use words like 开始的时候 (kāishǐ de shíhou) in context.
Where does 当初 go in a sentence?
It usually comes at the start of the sentence or right after the subject, like other time words. For example: 我当初不想来。(Wǒ dāngchū bù xiǎng lái.) At first I didn't want to come.