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
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): tng-chho͘ / tong-chho͘ / tng-chhoe / tng-chhe / tong-chhoe

  (Teochew, Peng'im): deng¹ co¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: dāngchū
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄤ ㄔㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dangchu
    • Wade–Giles: tang¹-chʻu¹
    • Yale: dāng-chū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dangchu
    • Palladius: данчу (danču)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: dong¹ co¹
    • Yale: dōng chō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dong¹ tso¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: dong¹ co¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: tông-chhû
    • Hakka Romanization System: dong´ cu´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: dong¹ cu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /toŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sʰu²⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tng-chho͘
    • Tâi-lô: tng-tshoo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dngzhof
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tŋ̍³³ t͡sʰɔ³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Singapore): /tŋ̍⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tong-chho͘
    • Tâi-lô: tong-tshoo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dongzhof
    • IPA (Zhangzhou, Singapore): /tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tng-chhoe
    • Tâi-lô: tng-tshue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dngzhoef
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tŋ̍⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰue⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tŋ̍⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰue⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tŋ̍³³ t͡sʰue³³/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tng-chhe
    • Tâi-lô: tng-tshe
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dngzhef
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tŋ̍⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰe⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tong-chhoe
    • Tâi-lô: tong-tshue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dongzhoef
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰue⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: deng¹ co¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tṳng tsho
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɯŋ³³⁻²³ t͡sʰo³³/

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.

2. previously; formerly; once upon a time; in the past

Synonyms

• (originally):

• 一插手兒／一插手儿 (yīchāshǒur) (Beijing Mandarin)
• 一開始／一开始 (yīkāishǐ)
• 上頭仔／上头仔 (Hokkien)
• 乍出猛兒／乍出猛儿 (zhàchūměngr) (Beijing Mandarin)
• 先前 (¹shi-zhi) (Wu)
• 先起頭／先起头 (Wu)
• 先頭／先头 (Wu)
• 最初 (zuìchū)
• 初初 (co¹ co¹) (Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien)
• 劈頭／劈头 (pītóu)
• 原 (yuán)
• 原來／原来 (yuánlái)
• 原先 (yuánxiān)
• 原初 (yuánchū)
• 原底 (Hokkien, chiefly Cantonese, Teochew, chiefly Cantonese)
• 原旦 (Hakka)
• 原本 (yuánběn)
• 原本榻裡／原本榻里 (⁶gnioe-pen-thaq-li) (Wu)
• 在本 (Hokkien)
• 始初 (shǐchū) (literary)
• 寢頭／寝头 (Hokkien)
• 就跟兒／就跟儿 (jiùgēnr) (Beijing Mandarin)
• 早先 (⁵tsau-shi) (Wu)
• 本來／本来 (běnlái)
• 本則來／本则来 (⁵pen-tseq-le) (Wu)
• 本底 (Hokkien)
• 本底子 (⁵pen-ti-tsy) (Wu)
• 本成 (Hokkien)
• 本然 (Hokkien)
• 本生 (⁵pen-san) (Wu)
• 當初時／当初时 (Hokkien)
• 當原初／当原初 (Quanzhou Hokkien, Xiamen Hokkien)
• 自本 (Hokkien)
• 舊底／旧底 (Hokkien)
• 起先 (qǐxiān)
• 起初 (qǐchū)
• 起始 (qǐshǐ)
• 起手 (qǐshǒu)
• 起頭／起头 (qǐtóu)
• 起首 (qǐshǒu) (literary, or Guangzhou Cantonese)
• 開先／开先 (kai¹ sienn¹) (Xiang)
• 開初／开初 (kāichū)
• 頭仔／头仔 (Hokkien)
• 頭起先／头起先 (Hokkien)
• 頭頭／头头 (Cantonese, Eastern Min, Hokkien)

 

• (previously):

• 上早 (Hakka)
• 以前 (yǐqián)
• 先前 (xiānqián)
• 先行 (xiānxíng) (literary)
• 其先 (qíxiān) (literary)
• 前往 (qiánwǎng) (literary)
• 原在 (Hakka)
• 古者 (gǔzhě) (archaic)
• 向來／向来 (xiànglái) (archaic)
• 嘗／尝 (cháng) (literary, or used in compounds)
• 在前 (zàiqián)
• 家先 (Hakka)
• 往擺／往摆 (Hakka, Hokkien)
• 往擺仔／往摆仔 (Hokkien)
• 往者 (wǎngzhě) (literary)
• 往過／往过 (Hokkien)
• 往過仔／往过仔 (Hokkien)
• 從前／从前 (cóngqián)
• 早先 (zǎoxiān)
• 早年所 (Hokkien)
• 早時／早时 (Hokkien)
• 昔日 (xīrì) (literary)
• 昔時／昔时 (xīshí) (literary)
• 曾
• 曾經／曾经 (céngjīng)
• 舊擺／旧摆 (Singapore Hokkien)
• 舊早／旧早 (Singapore Hokkien)
• 過前／过前 (Hainanese)

 

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)