Meaning of 当时
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- then; at that time
- immediately; right then
How to use 当时
当时 (dāngshí) refers to a specific moment in the past, usually one you are telling a story about. It often comes at the start of a sentence or right after the subject. 我当时很紧张。(Wǒ dāngshí hěn jǐnzhāng.) I was very nervous at the time.
当 (dāng) means "at" or "right at" a point, and 时 (shí) means "time." Put them together and you are standing right at that time back then.
Common mistake: Learners often use 当时 for the present or the future, but it only points back to a past moment. For "now" use 现在 (xiànzài). Also, the fourth-tone reading dàngshí means "immediately, on the spot." It is much rarer, so read it as dāngshí unless the context clearly means "right away."
当时 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
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时 shí · o'clock · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 当时.
| 时候 | shíhou | time; length of time |
| 时间 | shíjiān | (concept of) time; (duration of) time |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour |
| 有时 | yǒushí | sometimes; now and then |
| 有时候 | yǒushíhou | sometimes |
| 那时 | nà shí | then; at that time |
| 同时 | tóngshí | at the same time; simultaneously |
| 随时 | suíshí | at any time; at all times; at the right time; whenever necessary |
| 小时候 | xiǎoshíhou | in one's childhood |
| 平时 | píngshí | ordinarily; in normal times |
| 这时候 | zhè shíhou | |
| 这时 | zhè shí | at this time; at this moment |
Questions about 当时
What does 当时 mean?
当时 (dāngshí) means "then; at that time" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 当时?
当时 is made of 2 characters: 当 (6 strokes), 时 (7 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 当时 an HSK word?
Yes. 当时 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 当时 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 当时 is written 當時.
What is the difference between 当时 and 那时?
Both mean "at that time." 当时 is more common in storytelling and refers to the specific moment just being discussed. 那时 (nà shí) is a bit more casual and often points to a broader period, like 那时我还小 (back then I was still little).
Is 当时 the same as 当……的时候?
Not quite. 当……的时候 is a pattern meaning "when..." that introduces a time clause, as in 当我回家的时候 (when I got home). 当时 stands alone and means "at that time" without needing a clause.