當 / 当
dāng…
The English phrase "as soon as" can be expressed in Chinese using 當 / 当 (dāng…). Wiktionary also lists …就 (…jiù) and 一…就 (yī…jiù).
Meaning: immediately after (conj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 當 / 当 | dāng… |
| …就 | …jiù |
| 一…就 | yī…jiù |
| 一經 / 一经 | yījīng |
| 一旦 | yīdàn |
The various Chinese forms of "as soon as" are used to express that one event happens immediately after another or once a certain condition is met.
Which one should you use?
The structure 一…就 emphasizes an immediate sequence of events. In contrast, 一旦 emphasizes the condition of "once" or "as soon as" a certain state is reached, often implying a consequence.
How does it change in a sentence?
The pattern 一…就 is the most common way to express "as soon as" in a sentence. The first part follows the subject and the second part follows the second clause. This structure is used to indicate that the second action happens immediately following the first action.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 當 / 当 is dāng…
Did you know?
- The character 當 is used for both 'as soon as' and 'to block', because its original sense of 'facing' something relates to standing in front of it to obstruct it.
- While 一旦 translates as 'as soon as', it is frequently used to introduce a 'point of no return' or a permanent change in status that cannot be undone.
- Linguists believe that the Chinese word 當 may be a cognate of the Tibetan word དང (dang), which means 'together with' or 'and'.
Examples in context
- 你一旦不做个乖孩子，圣诞老人就不会来噢。As soon as you start misbehaving, Father Christmas will not come to see you.This sentence is useful for showing how 一旦 expresses a conditional consequence.Tatoeba #5100254 by mirrorvan, translation #5145613 by JimmyUK
- 一旦撿到一顆你喜歡的石頭，盡快將它帶回家並好好對待它，因為那是妳唯一得到的石頭。Once you've picked up a stone that you like, take it home as soon as you can and treat it well, because that's the only stone you've got.This sentence demonstrates the use of 一旦 regarding a specific situation.Tatoeba #724317 by egg0073, translation #724318 by eastasiastudent
- 他一回家就开始做作业。As soon as he gets home, he starts doing his homework.
- 一旦发现问题，我们就会立即解决。As soon as we discover a problem, we will solve it immediately.
- 一到夏天，我就喜欢去海边。As soon as summer comes, I love going to the beach.
- 一碰到她，他就不知道说什么了。As soon as he sees her, he doesn't know what to say.
- 我一回家就吃飯。I eat as soon as I get home.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “as soon as” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 當, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
