Chinese word

当成

Pronunciation

Pinyindàng chéng

Meaning

  • verbtake as

Example

别把我的建议当成批评。bié bǎ wǒ de jiàn yì dàng chéng pī píng

Don't take my suggestion as criticism.

Illustration for 当成 (take as)

More examples

他把失败当成学习的机会，所以很快改进。tā bǎ shī bài dàng chéng xué xí de jī huì suó yǐ hěn kuài gǎi jìn

He took failure as an opportunity to learn, so he improved quickly.

Core concept

One thing is mentally placed in the category of another, whether the classification is deliberate or mistaken.

Common phrases

  • 把...当成机会bǎ dàng chéng jī huì

    take ___ as an opportunity

  • 常被当成典型cháng bèi dàng chéng diǎn xíng

    often be taken as typical

  • 把...当成过失bǎ dàng chéng guò shī

    take ___ as a fault

Similar words

看作kàn zuò: Viewing a person or thing in a certain way and treating it accordingly.
当作dàng zuò: Treating one person or thing as another.
看成kàn chéng: Seeing a person or thing as something else after forming that impression.
视为shì wéi: Formally recognizing a person or thing as having a certain status or identity.

Definition in Chinese

把某人或某物看作是另一种人或事物；常用于“把……当成……”的结构。bǎ mǒu rén huò mǒu wù kàn zuò shì lìng yì zhǒng rén huò shì wù cháng yòng yú bǎ dàng chéng de jié gòu

Word origin

当成 (dàngchéng, "treat as") joins 当 (dàng, "treat or regard") and 成 (chéng, "become or make into"), expressing the move from one status to another in someone's view.

Usage tips

  • English can use take for both physical holding and mental classification, while this Chinese verb clearly marks the second sense when a person assigns something a role or category.

Other meanings

  • treat asverb
  • mistake forverb

Word lists with this word