什么时候
shénme shíhou
In Chinese, 'when' is expressed as 什么时候 (shénme shíhou).
什么时候 is used as a conjunction to mean 'as soon as' or 'at the time that'.
Meaning: as soon as, at the time that (conj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 什么时候 literally translates to 'what time'.
Which one should you use?
Depending on the context and desired level of formality, you might use different expressions: 哪个时候 is a colloquial way of asking about timing and is similar to 什么时候, while 几时 is a more formal or literary way to say 'when' compared to 什么时候. For formal contexts where you need to indicate when a particular event occurs or a certain condition is met, the expression 当…时 is used.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
shénme shíhou
Did you know?
- The character 时 in 什么时候 contains the radical for 'sun', reflecting the ancient practice of using sundials to determine the hour.
- The word 候 in 什么时候 originally referred to the 'waiting' or 'observation' of a season, linking the concept of time to the act of watching for a change in nature.
- The character 时 is used in the word 'fashion' or 'trend' in Chinese, linking the concept of 'time' to the concept of 'what is currently popular'.
Examples in context
- 它什么时候到？When does it arrive?This example shows how to use 什么时候 to ask about an arrival time.Tatoeba #5762988 by verdastelo9604, translation #280089 by CK
- 什么时候选举？When are the elections?This example uses 什么时候 to ask about the timing of an election.Tatoeba #9958171 by GlossaMatik, translation #5607242 by mailohilohi
- 你什么时候回国？When are you returning to your country?This example uses 什么时候 to inquire about someone's return to their country.Tatoeba #1759588 by sadhen, translation #8892893 by LanguageExpert
- 当阳光普照时，花朵会绽放出美丽的颜色。When the sun shines brightly, flowers bloom with beautiful colors.
- 你什么时候回家？When will you go back home?
- 明天你们打算去哪里玩？什么时候出发？Where are you planning to go tomorrow? When will you leave?
- 你们几点开会？What time will your meeting start?
- 164 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a movie release.
- 梓涵 Zihan电影什么时候上映？diànyǐng shénme shíhou shàngyìng?When is the movie being released?
- 浩然 Haoran下个星期五。xià gè xīngqī wǔ.Next Friday.
- 梓涵 Zihan你什么时候有空去看？nǐ shénme shíhou yǒu kòng qù kàn?When will you be free to go see it?
- 浩然 Haoran我打算周六去。wǒ dǎsuàn zhōuliù qù.I plan to go on Saturday.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
