当日
dāng rì , dàng rì · HSK 7
that very day
📅 当 (that/facing) + 日 (day) = facing THAT day
当 means 'to face' or 'that particular one,' and 日 means 'day' or 'sun.' Together they point to one specific day — the very day in question. Say dāng rì for 'that day' or dàng rì when used as a modifier.
当 — small ⺌ + crown 冖 + hand 彐 (simplified from 當: 尚 + 田)
Originally written 當, combining 田 'field' with 尚 as a phonetic. The early sense was 'to match' or 'face' a field of equal value, extended to 'correspond to', 'ought to', and 'serve as'. The simplified form 当 streamlines the upper 尚 component.
日 — pictograph of the sun
日 is a pictograph of the sun, originally drawn as a circle with a dot or stroke inside representing the sun's substance. Over time the round shape was squared off into the modern rectangular form. It means 'sun' and by extension 'day'.