充当 (chōng dāng) — to serve as, to act as, to play the role of

Definition

充当 (chōngdāng) means 'to serve as, to act as' and focuses on taking on a function or role. It is more formal than the everyday verb 当 (dāng), and can apply to both people and objects (e.g., a room充当 a meeting room). Unlike 担任 (dānrèn), which is only for official positions, and 扮演 (bànyǎn), which is for performance or character roles, 充当 is broader. Also, 充 (chōng) can imply pretending, while 充当 does not carry that nuance.

verb

to serve asto act asto play the role of

Examples

充当。
Tā chōng dāng le gōngsī dàibiǎo.
He served as the company representative.
，充当。
Zài zhè cì huódòng zhōng, tā chōng dāng zhǔchírén.
In this event, she acted as the host.
充当。
Méiyǒu rén yuànyì chōng dāng zhège xiàngmù de fùzérén.
No one is willing to serve as the person in charge of this project.

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.