Word: 当 (dāng, dàng)

当我忘记约定时，他十分愤怒。

Dāng wǒ wàngjì yuēdìng shí, tā shífēn fènnù.

He was very angry with me when I forgot the appointment.

当我看到你时，我感到很开心。

Dāng wǒ kàndào nǐ shí, wǒ gǎndào hěn kāixīn.

Whenever I see you, I feel happy.

当我看到这张图片的时候总是哭。

Dāng wǒ kàndào zhè zhāng túpiàn de shíhou zǒngshì kū.

I always cry when I see this picture.

当我离开家的时候天空很明朗。

Dāng wǒ líkāi jiā de shíhou tiānkōng hěn mínglǎng.

The sky was clear when I left home.

当我阅读的时候，我最快乐。

Dāng wǒ yuèdú de shíhou, wǒ zuì kuàilè.

I am happiest when I am reading.

当水被加热时，水汽蒸发。

Dāng shuǐ bèi jiārè shí, shuǐqì zhēngfā.

Water evaporates when it is heated.

当由美来的时候我正在看电视。

Dāng yóu měi lái de shíhou wǒ zhèngzài kàn diànshì.

I was watching TV when Yumi came.

当警察要有强壮的体格。

Dāng jǐngchá yào yǒu qiángzhuàng de tǐgé.

To be a police officer, you need a strong physique.

当雨停了，我们就会去。

Dāng yǔ tíngle, wǒmen jiù huì qù.

We'll go when the rain stops.

恶棍打官司，拿着不是当理说

ègùn dǎguānsi, názhe bú shì dāng lǐ shuō

a thug going to court: takes his faults and argues them as reasons

我不想当任何人的棋子。

Wǒ bùxiǎng dāng rènhé rén de qízǐ.

I don't want to be anyone's pawn.

我不能让他当我的老师。

Wǒ bùnéng ràng tā dāng wǒ de lǎoshī.

I can't have him as my teacher.

我们不能一直把它当秘密守着。

Wǒmen bùnéng yìzhí bǎ tā dāng mìmì shǒuzhe.

We can't keep this a secret forever.

我们选了他当主席。

Wǒmen xuǎn le tā dāng zhǔxí.

We elected him chairman.

我儿子长大想当宇航员。

Wǒ érzi zhǎngdà xiǎng dāng yǔhángyuán.

My son wants to be an astronaut when he grows up.

我儿子长大想当航天员。

Wǒ érzi zhǎngdà xiǎng dāng hángtiānyuán.

My son wants to be an astronaut when he grows up.

我决定当个医生了。

Wǒ juédìng dāng gè yīshēng le.

I decided to be a doctor.

我决定当个工程师。

Wǒ juédìng dāng gè gōngchéngshī.

I've decided to become an engineer.

我后悔当老师。

Wǒ hòuhuǐ dāng lǎoshī.

I regret becoming a teacher.

我哥哥在子公司当经理。

Wǒ gēge zài zǐgōngsī dāng jīnglǐ.

My older brother works as a manager at a subsidiary.

我哥哥想当历史学家。

Wǒ gēge xiǎng dāng lìshǐxuéjiā.

My older brother wants to become a historian.

我哥哥想当领事，所以学外语。

Wǒ gēge xiǎng dāng lǐngshì, suǒyǐ xué wàiyǔ.

My older brother wants to become a consul, so he is studying foreign languages.

我姐姐在超市当售货员。

Wǒ jiějie zài chāoshì dāng shòuhuòyuán.

My older sister works as a sales clerk at a supermarket.

我姐姐想当影评人。

Wǒ jiějie xiǎng dāng yǐngpíngrén.

My older sister wants to be a film critic.

我姐姐想当电影编剧。

Wǒ jiějie xiǎng dāng diànyǐng biānjù.

My older sister wants to be a screenwriter.

我姐姐想当社会工作者。

Wǒ jiějie xiǎng dāng shèhuìgōngzuòzhě.

My older sister wants to become a social worker.

我就当你夸我了。

Wǒ jiù dāng nǐ kuā wǒ le.

I'll take that as a compliment.

我弟弟说他长大以后想当哲学家。

Wǒ dìdi shuō tā zhǎngdà yǐhòu xiǎng dāng zhéxuéjiā.

My younger brother says he wants to be a philosopher when he grows up.

我当老师已经15年了。

Wǒ dāng lǎoshī yǐjīng shíwǔ nián le.

I have been a teacher for 15 years.

我当过老师。

Wǒ dāng guò lǎoshī.

I was a teacher.

我想买点卤味当晚饭。

Wǒ xiǎng mǎi diǎn lǔwèi dāng wǎnfàn.

I want to buy some stewed deli meats for dinner.

我想到那位当记者的女人。

Wǒ xiǎngdào nà wèi dāng jìzhě de nǚrén.

I think of the woman as a journalist.

我想吃蛋糕当点心。

Wǒ xiǎng chī dàngāo dāng diǎnxin.

I'd like to have cake for dessert.

我想当一名英语老师。

Wǒ xiǎng dāng yì míng Yīngyǔ lǎoshī.

I would like to be an English teacher.

我想当体育记者。

Wǒ xiǎng dāng tǐyù jìzhě.

I want to be a sport reporter.

我想当医生。

Wǒ xiǎng dāng yīshēng.

I want to be a doctor.

我想当歌手。

Wǒ xiǎng dāng gēshǒu.

I want to become a singer.

我的理想是当一名老师。

Wǒ de lǐxiǎng shì dāng yì míng lǎoshī.

My dream is to become a teacher.

我舅舅三十岁才转行当老师。

Wǒ jiùjiu sānshí suì cái zhuǎnháng dāng lǎoshī.

My uncle didn't change careers to become a teacher until he was thirty.

我被要求当这场比赛的裁判。

Wǒ bèi yāoqiú dāng zhè chǎng bǐsài de cáipàn.

I was asked to umpire the game.

我要当律师。

Wǒ yào dāng lǜshī.

I want to be a lawyer.

我要当面向邻居道谢。

Wǒ yào dāng miànxiàng línjū dàoxiè.

I want to thank my neighbor in person.

我邻居晚上在网上当主播。

Wǒ línjū wǎnshang zài wǎngshàng dāng zhǔbō.

My neighbor works as a streamer online in the evenings.

把我当晚餐吃了吧！

Bǎ wǒ dāng wǎncān chīle ba!

Eat me for dinner.

抓住渔船当鞋穿，大手大脚

zhuāzhù yúchuán dàng xié chuān, dàshǒudàjiǎo

grabbing a fishing boat and wearing it as a shoe: big hands and big feet

拿棒槌缝衣服，什么也当针

ná bàngchuí fèng yīfu, shénme yě dāng zhēn

sewing clothes with a laundry club: taking everything for a needle

拿着磨盘当月亮，认不清高低轻重

názhe mòpán dàng yuèliang, rèn bù qīng gāodī qīngzhòng

taking a millstone for the moon: can't tell high from low, light from heavy

拿着草帽当锅盖，乱扣帽子

názhe cǎomào dàng guōgài, luàn kòumàozi

taking a straw hat as a pot lid: putting hats on at random

挽弓当挽强

wǎngōng dāng wǎnqiáng

if you draw a bow, draw a strong one

擀面杖当箫吹，缺心眼儿

gǎnmiànzhàng dāng xiāochuī, quēxīnyǎnr

blowing a rolling pin as if it were a flute: lacking holes

是谁提名你当代表的？

Shì shéi tímíng nǐ dāng dàibiǎo de?

Who nominated you to be the representative?

毛毛细雨湿衣裳，小事不防上大当

Máomao xìyǔ shī yīshang, xiǎoshì bù fáng shàng dà dāng

drizzle soaks your clothes; ignore small things and you are badly fooled

满堂儿女，当不得半席夫妻

mǎntáng érnǚ, dāng bùdé bàn xí fūqī

a hall full of children is not worth half a mat of husband and wife

滴水之恩，当涌泉相报

dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquánxiāngbào

a favour as small as a drop of water should be repaid with a gushing spring

烂泥糊不上墙,朽木当不了梁

lànníhúbúshàngqiáng,xiǔmù dàng bù liǎo Liáng

Rotten mud can't be plastered on a wall; rotted wood can't serve as a beam

爷爷当年在部队里当师长。

Yéye dāngnián zài bùduì lǐ dāng shīzhǎng.

Back then, my grandfather was a division commander in the army.

用这个当诱饵啊？

Yòng zhège dāng yòu'ěr a?

Using this as a bait?

电线杆子当筷子，大材小用

diànxiàngān zi dàng kuàizi, dàcáixiǎoyòng

using a telegraph pole as chopsticks: big timber put to small use

男儿当自强

nán'ér dāng zìqiáng

a man should strengthen himself

窗破了当糊,人恶了当除

chuāng pòle dāng hú,rén èle dāng chú

mend a broken window by pasting it, remove a wicked person

经理指定他当组长。

Jīnglǐ zhǐdìng tā dāng zǔzhǎng.

The manager appointed him team leader.

继哥哥之后，妹妹也当了兵。

Jì gēge zhīhòu, mèimei yě dāng le bīng.

After her older brother, the younger sister joined the army too.

芦苇秆子当房梁，不是那个料

lúwěi gǎnzǐ dàng fángliáng, bú shì nàge liào

using a reed stalk as a roof beam: not the right material

草帽子当锣打，响不起来

cǎo màozi dāng luó dǎ, xiǎng bù qǐlai

Beating a straw hat like a gong: can't make it ring (can't think of it)

荷叶当雨伞，难遮盖

héyè dàng yǔsǎn, nán zhēgài

using a lotus leaf as an umbrella: hard to cover

董事会聘任他当总经理。

Dǒngshìhuì pìnrèn tā dāng zǒngjīnglǐ.

The board appointed him as general manager.

蒋干盗书，上了大当

Jiǎng gàn dào shū, shàng le dà dāng

Jiang Gan steals the letter: falls for a big trick

谁会被提拔当经理呢？

Shéi huì bèi tíbá dāng jīnglǐ ne?

Who will be picked for promotion to manager?

谁养孩子谁当娘，谁种土地谁收粮

shéi yǎng háizi shuí dāng niáng, shéi zhòng tǔdì shéi shōu liáng

whoever raises the child is the mother; whoever farms the land harvests the grain

踩着麻绳当蛇，小题大作

cǎi zhe máshéng dàng shé, xiǎotídàzuò

Stepping on a hemp rope and taking it for a snake: making a big fuss over a small matter

这堆粪可以给菜地当肥料。

Zhè duī fèn kěyǐ gěi càidì dāng féiliào.

This pile of manure can be used to fertilize the vegetable garden.

这房间是当厨房用的。

Zhè fángjiān shì dāng chúfáng yòng de.

This room is used as a kitchen.

邻居们推选他当代表。

Línjūmen tuīxuǎn tā dāng dàibiǎo.

The neighbors elected him as their representative.

饿眼见瓜皮，就当一景儿

è yǎnjiàn guāpí, jiù dāng yìjǐngr

hungry eyes see a melon rind: take it for a sight

马勺吊起来当锣打，穷得丁零当啷响

mǎsháo diào qǐlai dàng luó dǎ, qióng de dīnglingdānglāng xiǎng

A ladle hung up and beaten as a gong: so poor it clangs

马粪可以当肥料用。

Mǎfèn kěyǐ dāng féiliào yòng.

Horse manure can be used as fertilizer.

麻秆儿当梁，不是材料

mágǎnr dāng Liáng, bú shì cáiliào

Using a hemp stalk as a roof beam: not the right material