当初

當初
dāngchū
noun HSK 6 #2,902

Meanings

  1. 1 at that time; originally
  2. 2 back then; in the beginning

Examples

HSK 3
Rúguǒ dāngchū nǔlì yìdiǎn jiù hǎo le.
If only I had worked harder back then.
HSK 4
Dāngchū wǒ bù yīnggāi dāying tā.
I shouldn't have agreed to him back then.
HSK 4
Dāngchū nǐ wèishénme xuǎnzé zhège zhuānyè?
Why did you choose this major back then?

Tips

usage
当初 often carries a sense of regret or reflection - looking back at a past decision.
mistakes
当初 refers to the beginning of a specific past situation. Don't confuse with 以前 which is more general.

Stroke Order

dāng
chū