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Expressing 'at that time' or 'originally' with 当初 (dāngchū)
Structure
当初 + Subject + Verb + Object
Explanation
The adverb 当初 (dāngchū) means 'at that time,' 'originally,' or 'in the beginning.' It is used to refer back to the circumstances or intentions that existed at an earlier point in time. It often carries a reflective or contrastive tone, comparing past and present situations.
Examples
当初我们决定来这座城市，就是因为喜欢这里的气候。
Dāngchū wǒmen juédìng lái zhè zuò chéngshì, jiùshì yīnwèi xǐhuān zhèlǐ de qìhòu.
The reason we decided to come to this city in the first place was that we liked the climate here.
要是当初听了你的建议，现在就不会这么麻烦了。
Yàoshi dāngchū tīng le nǐ de jiànyì, xiànzài jiù bù huì zhème máfan le.
If I had listened to your advice back then, things wouldn't be so troublesome now.
他当初只是一个普通的大学生，现在已经是公司老板了。
Tā dāngchū zhǐshì yī gè pǔtōng de dàxuéshēng, xiànzài yǐjīng shì gōngsī lǎobǎn le.
Back then he was just an ordinary college student, but now he's already a company boss.