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I'm working on a lexicon for the main Chinese characters, and I only have a few words to give a meaning. I stumble on this particular character used in the first tone, and the least I can say is that it does not make consensus in the dictionaries available online. What would be the main meanings used in modern Chinese ?
My Wenlin dictionary gives :
verb: ①undertake; accept ②be just as ③should
coverb: at a given time or place
bound form: ①at a given time or place ②equal to, appropriate

I have to choose among these uses, who has an idea of their frequency of use?

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  • This page will help you to better understand the word 当, and its many uses and meanings. zdic.net/hans/%E5%BD%93
    – r13
    Commented Feb 3, 2023 at 19:06
  • 充任，担任：充～。担（dān ）～。～之无愧。 掌管，主持：～家。～权。～政。 正在那时候或那地方：～时。～代。～初。～今。～即（立即）。～年。～街。～院。 面对着：～面。～机立断。首～其冲。 相称，相配：旗鼓相～。～量（liáng）。 应该：应～。理～。老～益壮。 抵敌：万夫不～之勇。 判罪，意为处以相当的刑罚：该～何罪。 顶端，头：瓦～。 象声词，金属撞击的声音。 This page is not more helpful than Wenlin => no idea about the frequencies of uses for meanings. Just we can guess the first is the most commonly used ?
    – faure
    Commented Feb 4, 2023 at 6:14
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    I can't say which has been used the most, but the following are more or less having an equal appearance: ～家。～权。～政。～时。～代。～初。～今。～年。～面。应～。理～。
    – r13
    Commented Feb 4, 2023 at 16:09

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Honestly, many of the definitions have a frequency of use thats quite high. 当 is usually pronounced in first tone so that doesn't change much. Usually, additional characters are added to create vocab that clarifies which definition of a character to use-- of sometimes a dozen definitions to choose from.

Even of 当 definitions that are frequently used solo multiple are common. If you have to choose one, just to choose one, you could choose "work as/serve as/act as/etc". This definition was very ceremoniously chosen as the first one in the dictionary entry. Since it is frequently used alone, seems a great choice.

Some examples of this use (also from pleco) if needed:

...当组长 ...act as group leader

...当飞行员 ...work as a pilot

...当一名宇航员...be an astronaut

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