当时 dāng shí
“then; at that time; while”
time wordHSK 4 · 2021 list level 2Traditional 當時
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
当时 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1136: 当时 dāngshí — Level 4; official annotation 4 (名). PDF page 108
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 当时
当时 means “at that time” or “back then” and points to a specific past moment already clear from context. It often comes before the subject or after it, before the verb phrase: 当时我不知道 / 我当时不知道. Use it for past situations, not for the present or future.
例句Example sentences
- 我当时不知道这件事。wǒ dāng shí bù zhī dao zhè jiàn shì.I didn't know about this at that time.
- 当时我们住在北京。dāng shí wǒ men zhù zài běi jīng.At that time we lived in Beijing.
- 他当时很忙，所以没有来。tā dāng shí hěn máng, suǒ yǐ méi yǒu lái.He was very busy then, so he didn't come.
义项All meanings
- dāng shí: then; at that time; while
- dàng shí: at once; right away