当然
dāngrán
Of course · trad. 當然
当然 (Dāngrán) is a common way to say "of course" or "certainly" in Mandarin Chinese, expressing emphatic agreement or confirmation.
What does 当然 (dāngrán) mean?
当然 (dāngrán) means “of course” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “ought so.”
When to use it
Neutral and direct. It conveys strong agreement. For example, 当然可以 (dāngrán kěyǐ) means "of course you can."
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “DAHNG-rahn.” The first syllable is a high-level tone, and the second is a rising tone.
Other ways to say it
- 当然可以dāngrán kěyǐof course you can
- 当然了dāngrán leof course (with emphasis)
- 没问题méi wèntíno problem
Examples
当然，我明天会去。
dāngrán, wǒ míngtiān huì qù.
Of course, I will go tomorrow.
你当然可以这样做。
nǐ dāngrán kěyǐ zhèyàng zuò.
Of course you can do this.
他当然知道这件事。
tā dāngrán zhīdào zhè jiàn shì.
He certainly knows about this matter.
Pro tip: 当然 often implies a sense of obviousness or certainty. While it means "of course," using it too frequently can sometimes sound a bit assertive.
Related phrases
我同意 · I agree我不同意 · I disagree你说得对 · You're right
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