HSK Level 5

当年

dāng nián

in those years; in those days

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Example Sentences

当年我住在北京的时候,经常去故宫博物院。

Dāngnián wǒ zhù zài Běijīng de shíhòu, jīngcháng qù Gùgōng Bówùyuàn.

When I lived in Beijing, I often went to the Palace Museum.

当年他还是个孩子,现在已经长大成人了。

Dāngnián tā háishi ge háizi, xiànzài yǐjīng zhǎngdà chéngrén le.

He was just a child back then, but now he's all grown up.

当年我们一起上学,现在已经毕业很多年了。

Dāngnián wǒmen yīqǐ shàngxué, xiànzài yǐjīng bìyè hěn duō nián le.

We went to school together back then, but it's been many years since we graduated.

Synonyms

当年 (dāng nián)

that year

当年 (dāng nián)

back then

Antonyms

如今 (rújīn)

nowadays

现在 (xiànzài)

now

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 当年 (dāngnián) is composed of two characters: 当 (dāng) and 年 (nián). The character 当 originally meant "to face" or "to be opposite to", and later extended to mean "at that time" or "in those days". The character 年 means "year". When combined, 当年 literally means "that year" or "in that year". However, 当年 is often used in a more general sense to refer to "the past" or "back then". For example, the sentence 当年我很穷 (Dāngnián wǒ hěn qióng) means "I was very poor back then".The word 当年 can also be used in a more specific sense to refer to a particular year or period of time. For example, the sentence 当年是1997年 (Dāngnián shì 1997 nián) means "The year was 1997". In this sense, 当年 is often used in conjunction with a specific date or time period.Overall, the word 当年 is a versatile term that can be used to refer to the past in a general sense or to a specific year or period of time. It is a common word in Chinese and is used in a variety of contexts.