đương khi

Đương khi tôi đang đọc sách thì em gái tôi chơi đàn piano.

Definition

1. Conjunction:
   • While / When / At the time that: A formal or literary conjunction used to indicate that two actions or events are happening simultaneously. It connects two clauses, with the action in the main clause occurring during the time of the action in the clause introduced by "đương khi".

Usage Examples

• Conjunction:
  • Đương khi mọi người đang họp, chuông điện thoại reo. (While everyone was meeting, the telephone rang.)
  • Cô ấy đến thăm đương khi chúng tôi dọn dẹp nhà cửa. (She came to visit while we were cleaning the house.)
  • Đương khi tôi đọc sách, trời bắt đầu mưa. (When I was reading, it started to rain.)

Advanced Usage

• "đương khi đó": At that very time / Meanwhile. This phrase is used to refer to a specific simultaneous moment previously mentioned.
  • Chúng tôi đang nấu ăn. Đương khi đó, trẻ con chơi trong vườn. (We were cooking. Meanwhile, the children played in the garden.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trong khi (conjunction): While, during the time that. This is the more common, everyday synonym for "đương khi".

  • Trong khi tôi làm việc, anh ấy nghe nhạc. (While I work, he listens to music.)

• Khi (conjunction): When. A general conjunction for time, not necessarily emphasizing simultaneity as strongly.

  • Tôi về nhà khi trời tối. (I returned home when it got dark.)

Synonyms

• While: During the time that.
• When: At or during the time that.
• As: While, when (used for simultaneous actions).

Notes on Usage

• Register: "Đương khi" is considered formal, literary, or somewhat archaic. In modern spoken Vietnamese, "trong khi" is almost always preferred.
• Function: It primarily indicates temporal coincidence (two things happening at the same time). It does not imply contrast, which is a possible function of "trong khi" (e.g., - While/ I like coffee, he likes tea).