कब
kab/kəb/
The Hindi word for "when" is कब (kab).
कब is an interrogative adverb used specifically to ask for a point in time.
Meaning: as soon as, at the time that (conj)
Which one should you use?
While कब is used for asking questions about time, जब is used as a conjunction to mean "when" or "at the time that" in a statement.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /kəb/ (kab).
Did you know?
- In poetic or formal Hindi, the conjunction जब is often paired with तब (then) to create a rhythmic structure known as 'Jab-Tab' parallelism, which is a common stylistic device in songs and literature.
- Because कब is an interrogative adverb, it carries the weight of the question itself, meaning you do not always need to change the word order of the sentence to indicate it is a question, unlike in English.
- The word कब is used in the common idiomatic expression कब तक, which doesn't just ask for a time but often implies 'how much longer' or 'until when'.
Examples in context
- तूने अपनी दीवार की पुताई कब करायी?When did you have your wall painted?This example shows how to use कब to ask about the timing of an action.Tatoeba #8864274 by aboi, translation #69570 by CK
- कब?When?This example shows a one-word question using कब.Tatoeba #8876324 by simranbansal, translation #4625694 by Arondayot
- आप कब मिले?When did you meet?This example shows how to use कब to ask when a meeting occurred.Tatoeba #10270852 by simranbansal, translation #2273929 by CK
- कितने बजे तक सोना चाहिए?Until what time should I sleep?
- फिल्म कितने बजे शुरू होती है?What time does the movie start?
- किस वक्त सूर्यास्त होता है?When does the sunset occur?
- क्या आप मुझे बता सकते हैं कि मीटिंग कब शुरू होती है?Can you tell me when the meeting starts?
- जब मैं बच्चा था…When I was a child…
- रोज़ कब तक व्यायाम करना चाहिए?Until what time should one exercise every day?
- 68 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Neha and Vikas are discussing a travel plan.
- नेहा Nehaआप दिल्ली कब पहुँचेंगे?Aap Dilli kab pahuunchenge?When will you reach Delhi?
- विकास Vikasमैं कल सुबह पहुँचूँगा।Main kal subah pahuunchoonga.I will arrive tomorrow morning.
- नेहा Nehaहमें कब मिलना चाहिए?Humein kab milna chahiye?When should we meet?
- विकास Vikasदोपहर को मिलते हैं।Dopehar ko milte hain.Let's meet in the afternoon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry कब, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
