当着……(的面): in front of, to someone's face
【高49】介词 / prepositions (引出对象)
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
当着 + people (+ 的面) + verb: the action is done openly in front of the people named, often to say something to their face, to confront them or to show off: 当着大家的面道歉 (apologise in front of everyone), 当着我的面说 (say it in front of me). After a plural or a group, 的面 may be dropped: 当着大家说清楚.
The noun must refer to people (or an audience): ✗ 当着桌子的面. The phrase goes before the verb, and it carries weight: it stresses that the act had witnesses.
Compare 在……面前, which only says someone is present (在老师面前很紧张); 当面, an adverb ("face to face": 当面谈); and its opposite 背着 (behind someone's back): 背着我做决定. Register: spoken and written alike.
Examples
他当着大家的面道了歉。
Tā dāngzhe dàjiā de miàn dào le qiàn.He apologised in front of everyone.
我当着大家的面把礼物打开了。
Wǒ dāngzhe dàjiā de miàn bǎ lǐwù dǎkāi le.I opened the present in front of everyone.
老板当着客户的面夸了他，他一下子红了脸。
Lǎobǎn dāngzhe kèhù de miàn kuā le tā, tā yíxiàzi hóng le liǎn.The boss praised him in front of the clients and he blushed at once.
当着我的面，你有什么想说的就说出来吧。
Dāngzhe wǒ de miàn, nǐ yǒu shénme xiǎng shuō de jiù shuō chūlái ba.Right in front of me, go ahead and say whatever you want to say.
你有意见可以直接跟我谈，不要当着孩子的面吵架。
Nǐ yǒu yìjiàn kěyǐ zhíjiē gēn wǒ tán, bú yào dāngzhe háizi de miàn chǎojià.If you have a complaint, tell me directly, but don't argue in front of the children.
我可以当着法官的面保证，这份记录是真实的。
Wǒ kěyǐ dāngzhe fǎguān de miàn bǎozhèng, zhè fèn jìlù shì zhēnshí de.I can vouch in front of the judge that this record is genuine.
Common mistakes
✗ 当着桌子的面放了一本书。 → ✓ 在桌子上放了一本书。 (当着 needs people).
✗ 他当着我的面前说了谎。 → ✓ 他当着我的面说了谎。 (don't combine 当着 with 面前; 在我面前 is the other way to say it).