当 (dāng) is a Chinese character meaning “to serve as”. It is written from ⺌ (three short strokes fanning out at the top of a character) and 彐 (snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes. It has a second reading, dàng, which turns up in 上当 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “to serve as; ought to”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
⺌ + 彐
Top–bottom structure
- ⺌ three short strokes fanning out at the top of a character unknown
- 彐 snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right · jì unknown
Structure from: modern simplified glyph decomposition (hanzi-writer-data stroke groups 0-2 / 3-5); 简化字形拆分，非字源
Memory aid
Three little strokes (⺌) fan out on top of a closed box (彐) — like a hand raised over a counter when you step up and take the job on.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 当然dāng ránof course; certainly当 = dāngHSK 3
- 当时dāng shíat that time; then当 = dāngHSK 3
Go deeper
All readings
to serve as; ought to
to serve as; to work as; ought to; should; at (that time or place)
担任、充当；应该；也表示事情发生的那个时候。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 当然dāng ránof course; certainly当 = dāngHSK 3
- 当时dāng shíat that time; then当 = dāngHSK 3
proper; to treat as
proper; suitable; to regard as; to treat as
合适、恰当；也表示把甲看作乙。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 上当shàng dàngto be taken in; to fall for a trick当 = dàng
- 妥当tuǒ dàngappropriate; properly settled当 = dàng
- 恰当qià dàngappropriate; fitting; proper当 = dàng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 当 mean?
当 (dāng) means to serve as; to work as; ought to; should; at (that time or place).
How do you pronounce 当?
Its main reading is dāng. It also has a second reading, dàng, which only shows up in certain words such as 上当 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 当 sometimes pronounced dàng?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 上当 it is read dàng.
What parts is 当 made of?
⺌ (three short strokes fanning out at the top of a character) and 彐 (snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right), one above the other. The recorded source is: modern simplified glyph decomposition (hanzi-writer-data stroke groups 0-2 / 3-5); 简化字形拆分，非字源. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 当 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 当?
小. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 当?
Common ones are 当然 and 当时. The reading of 当 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.