当作

• Pinyin: dàng zuò
• Hanzi breakdown: 当 = simplified form; 作 = 亻(person) + 乍 (suddenly)

Meaning

To treat as; to regard as; to consider as. Viewing something as if it were something else.

Similar to 当成, used when someone treats or considers one thing as another. Slightly more formal than 当成. Can express both mistaken identity and deliberate attitudes.

Examples

1. 他把健身当作每天的必修课，从不缺席。 He treats exercise as a daily requirement and never misses it.
2. 她一直把同事的建议当作批评，心里很不舒服。 She always took her colleague's suggestions as criticism and felt uncomfortable.
3. 我们不能把沉默当作默认同意。 We can't treat silence as consent.

Usage Guide

Context: attitudes, perception

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 把学习当作乐趣。(Treat learning as enjoyment.)
• 不要把好意当作恶意。(Don't mistake good intentions for bad.)

Don't Say

• 当作和当成可以互换，当作稍正式，书面语中更常见 (当作 and 当成 are interchangeable — 当作 is slightly more formal and more common in written language)

Origin & History

From 当 (to regard as) and 作 (to act as/make), expressing treating something as having a particular role or identity.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal