Chinese word

当着

Pronunciation

Pinyindāng zhe

Meaning

  • prepositionin front of

Example

当着大家，我要说几句话。dāng zhe dà jiā wǒ yào shuō jǐ jù huà

I want to say a few words in front of everyone.

Illustration for 当着 (in front of)

More examples

她当着父母的面拒绝了这个提议。tā dāng zhe fù mǔ de miàn jù jué le zhè ge tí yì

She rejected the proposal in front of her parents.

Core concept

A person speaks or acts openly with another person or group right there as the direct audience.

Common phrases

  • 当着父母的面dāng zhe fù mǔ de miàn

    in front of one's parents

  • 当着老师的面dāng zhe lǎo shī de miàn

    in front of one's teacher

Similar words

对着duì zhe: Directly facing a person or object while carrying out an action or making a remark.
向xiàng: Indicating the person or target toward which an action, feeling, or attention is directed.
在...面前zài miàn qián: Showing that an event or action happens in front of a person or within a particular place.

Definition in Chinese

在某人面前直接进行某种言行，通常用于表示当众或当面做事。zài mǒu rén miàn qián zhí jiē jìn xíng móu zhǒng yán xíng tōng cháng yòng yú biǎo shì dāng zhòng huò dāng miàn zuò shì

Word origin

The construction combines 当 (dāng, "toward or facing") with 着 (zhe, "in a continuing state"), connecting a person's presence with an action carried out openly.

Usage tips

  • Unlike a simple location phrase, this pattern puts the witness before the main action, making the witness part of the situation rather than background.

Word lists with this word