当

2 readings · tap one to hear it

(onom.) dong; ding dong (bell)

Sound it out + = · + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Components ⺌彐

work as · Heisig RSH #947

小 small + broom

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
不当一回事	bù dàng yī huí shì	not regard as a matter (of any importance)
不当事	bù dāng shì	useless; regard as useless
当事人	dāng shì rén	persons involved or implicated; party (to an affair)
当事国	dāng shì guó	the countries involved
不当得利	bù dàng dé lì	unjust enrichment
当行出色	dāng háng chū sè	to excel in one's field
亚当斯	Yà dāng sī	Adams
当家作主	dāng jiā zuò zhǔ	to be in charge in one's own house (idiom); to be the master of one's own affairs
大而无当	dà ér wú dàng	grandiose but impractical (idiom); large but of no real use
不当	bù dàng	unsuitable; improper; inappropriate
斯当东	Sī dāng dōng	Staunton (name); Sir George Staunton, 1st Baronet, the second-in-command of the Macartney …
当阳市	Dāng yáng Shì	Dangyang, a county-level city in Yichang City 宜昌市[Yi2 chang1 Shi4], Hubei
当中	dāng zhōng	among; in the middle; in the center
当头	dāng tóu	coming right into one's face; imminent; to put first
当头	dàng tou	(coll.) pledge; surety
当心	dāng xīn	to take care; to look out
当回事儿	dàng huí shì r	erhua variant of 當回事\|当回事[dang4 hui2 shi4]
当地	dāng dì	local
当儿	dāng r	the very moment; just then; during (that brief interval)
当天	dāng tiān	on that day

These characters use 当 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
当 sound part	dāng	appropriate, timely; to act, to serve; the sound of bells
档	dàng	shelve, frame; files, records; grade, level
铛	dāng	frying pan; warming vessel
裆	dāng	the crotch or seat of a pair of pants
筜	dāng	tall bamboo