當初

當初

See also: 当初

Chinese

		to act as; represent; equal to act as; represent; equal; should; fitting; suitable; adequate; proper; replace; to be; to hold a position; manage; withstand; when; during; ought; match equally; same; obstruct; just at (a time or place); on the spot; right; just at	initial; first; beginning initial; first; beginning; junior; basic
trad. (當初)		當	初
simp. (当初)		当	初

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): dāngchū

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄤ ㄔㄨ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): dong¹ co¹
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): tông-chhû
• Min Nan (POJ): tng-chho͘ / tong-chho͘ / tng-chhoe / tong-chhoe / tng-chhe

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: dāngchū
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄤ ㄔㄨ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dangchu
    • IPA ^(key): /tɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: dong¹ co¹
    • Yale: dōng chō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dong¹ tso¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: dong¹ co¹
    • IPA ^(key): /tɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: tông-chhû
    • Hakka Romanization System: dong´ cu´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: dong¹ cu¹
    • IPA: /toŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sʰu²⁴/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tng-chho͘
    • Tâi-lô: tng-tshoo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dngzhof
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tŋ̍⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tŋ̍³³ t͡sʰɔ³³/
  • (Hokkien: mainstream Taiwanese, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tong-chho͘
    • Tâi-lô: tong-tshoo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dongzhof
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, variant in Taiwan, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tng-chhoe
    • Tâi-lô: tng-tshue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dngzhoef
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tŋ̍⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰue⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tŋ̍⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰue⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tŋ̍³³ t͡sʰue³³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tong-chhoe
    • Tâi-lô: tong-tshue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dongzhoef
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰue⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tng-chhe
    • Tâi-lô: tng-tshe
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dngzhef
    • IPA (Taipei): /tŋ̍⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰe⁴⁴/

Adverb

當初

1. originally; at first; at that time; at the outset; in the first place

   她很後悔當初沒有學好英語。 [MSC, trad.]
   她很后悔当初没有学好英语。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā hěn hòuhuǐ dāngchū méiyǒu xuéhǎo Yīngyǔ. [Pinyin]

   She regrets not learning English well from the outset.

Synonyms

edit

Synonyms of 當初

一開始／一开始 (yīkāishǐ) 原來／原来 (yuánlái) 原先 (yuánxiān) 原底 (yuándǐ) (chiefly Cantonese, Min Nan) 原本 (yuánběn) 在本 (Min Nan) 最初 (zuìchū) 本來／本来 (běnlái) 本底 (Min Nan)

本成 (Min Nan) 本然 (Min Nan) 當初時／当初时 (Min Nan) 自本 (Min Nan) 舊底／旧底 (Min Nan) 起先 (qǐxiān) 起初 (qǐchū) 起頭／起头 (qǐtóu) 開初／开初 (kāichū)

Derived terms

既有今日，何必當初／既有今日，何必当初 (jìyǒu jīnrì hébì dāngchū)

早知今日，何必當初／早知今日，何必当初 (zǎozhī jīnrì, hébì dāngchū)