当场

• Pinyin: dāng chǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 当 (at that time) + 场 = 土 (earth) + 昜 (phonetic)

Meaning

On the spot; then and there; immediately at that moment and place.

Emphasizes that something happens right at the time and place of an event, without delay. Often used for dramatic or decisive actions, whether positive (catching someone red-handed) or emotional reactions.

Examples

1. 小偷被当场抓住，没有任何逃跑的机会。 The thief was caught on the spot without any chance to escape.
2. 听到这个好消息，她当场就哭了出来。 Upon hearing this good news, she burst into tears right then and there.
3. 他当场拒绝了对方的无理要求。 He rejected the unreasonable request on the spot.

Usage Guide

Context: news, storytelling, everyday

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 他当场就答应了。(He agreed on the spot.)
• 证据确凿，当场认罪。(With solid evidence, he confessed on the spot.)

Don't Say

• '当场'强调即时性——如果事后才发生，不要用'当场'，用'后来'或'之后' (当场 emphasizes immediacy — don't use it for things that happened later; use 后来 or 之后 instead)

Origin & History

Compound of 当 (at that moment) + 场 (场合, scene/occasion), meaning right at the scene.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal