khi nào
[xi˧˧ naːw˨˩]
khi nào is the Vietnamese way to say "when".
khi nào is used to ask about an unspecified time in either the past or the future.
Meaning: as soon as, at the time that (conj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of khi (time/moment) and nào (which/what), literally meaning "which time".
Which one should you use?
While khi nào is used for questions, the word khi alone is used as a conjunction to mean "when" in a statement, such as "When I was young…".
How does it change in a sentence?
khi nào is typically used for open-ended questions about time. A common synonym is lúc nào, which can feel slightly more colloquial or specific to a certain point in time.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese, the word khi can be a homonym meaning 'to deceive' or 'to cheat' depending on the context.
- In Southern Vietnamese speech, you are much more likely to hear people use lúc nào rather than the standard khi nào.
- The word nào in khi nào belongs to a specific group of demonstratives called the 'n-series', which includes này, nấy and nọ.
Examples in context
- Tom về khi nào thế?When did Tom return?This example shows how to use khi nào to ask about a past event.Tatoeba #4580357 by khoaharp, translation #2985311 by sharptoothed
- Khi nào bạn về nhà?When will you return home?This example shows how to use khi nào to ask about a future event.Tatoeba #13173326 by leucammieuvu, translation #868637 by ColinG
- Bạn muốn ăn khi nào?When do you want to eat?This example shows how to use khi nào to ask about a preference regarding time.Tatoeba #8978156 by dotheduyet1999, translation #1886656 by CK
- Khi nào bạn có thể họp?When can you have a meeting?
- Bạn sẽ đến vào thời điểm nào?When will you arrive?
- Bữa tiệc sẽ diễn ra khi nào vậy?When will the party take place?
- Khi nào rảnh, chúng ta đi xem phim nhé!When you're free, let's go watch a movie!
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lan and Tuan are planning a movie date.
- LanKhi nào chúng ta đi xem phim?When are we going to see the movie?
- TuấnChiều nay lúc năm giờ nhé.This afternoon at five o'clock, okay?
- LanVậy khi nào bạn qua đón tôi?So when will you come pick me up?
- TuấnTôi sẽ đến lúc bốn giờ ba mươi.I will arrive at four thirty.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry khi nào, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries khi, nào, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
