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): ㄉㄤㄔㄨ
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
Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ¹taon-tshu₁

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: dāngchū
  - Zhuyin: ㄉㄤㄔㄨ
  - 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 Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: tông-chhû
  - Hakka Romanization System: dong^ˊ cu^ˊ
  - 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/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou)
  - Wugniu: ¹taon-tshu₁
  - MiniDict: taon^平 tshu^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹taan-tshu₁
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /tɑ̃⁵⁵ t͡sʰu²¹/
  - Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /tɑ̃⁴⁴ t͡sʰu/

Adverb

當初

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

Synonyms

(originally):

edit

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):

edit

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)