当下

• Pinyin: dāng xià
• Hanzi breakdown: 当 = at, during; 下 = 一 below another (below, present moment)

Meaning

At the present moment; right now; immediately. Can refer to the current time period or to instantaneous action.

Has two related uses: (1) temporal — referring to the present era or moment; (2) immediate action — indicating something happened instantly. Slightly more literary than 现在, common in both formal writing and everyday speech.

Examples

1. 当下最重要的是稳定市场，防止恐慌情绪进一步蔓延。 The most important thing right now is to stabilize the market and prevent panic from spreading further.
2. 听到这个坏消息，他当下愣住了，久久说不出话来。 When he heard the bad news, he froze on the spot and could not speak for a long time.
3. 我们不能只关注眼前利益，而忽视当下面临的深层问题。 We cannot focus only on immediate interests while ignoring the deeper problems we are currently facing.

Usage Guide

Context: narrative, social commentary, philosophy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 珍视当下，活在当下，是一种积极的人生态度。(Cherishing the present and living in the moment is a positive attitude toward life.)
• 当下的形势要求我们迅速做出调整。(The current situation demands that we make swift adjustments.)

Don't Say

• 当下我要去买东西 — for casual immediate plans, 现在 or 马上 is more natural; 当下 sounds overly literary in trivial contexts

Origin & History

当 (at) + 下 (at this point, present) — at this very point in time

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal