dong1 coeng4當場当场
Jyutpingdong1 coeng4
Yaledōng chèuhng
Definition
On the spot; at the scene; there and then.
colloquialdaily actionsother
How it's used
Focuses on the immediacy of an action occurring right at the location where a preceding event just happened. It carries a sense of surprise or finality, often used in contexts involving accidents, crimes, or sudden reactions. Unlike formal written Chinese, it is frequently used in spoken Cantonese to describe someone being caught in the act or reacting immediately to a situation.
Examples
Do you want to open the gift right there and then?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 現場, which is a noun referring to the scene itself. Use 當場 as an adverb to describe the timing and location of an action, whereas 現場 is used to identify the location where an event took place.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
