[Learn beginner Chinese with grammar] How to Use : 的時候 deshíhòu

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What does 的時候 de shíhòu mean?

「的時候 de shíhòu」means “when,” “at the time when,” or “while.”

It is used after a time word or a clause to show when something happens.

For beginners, remember these two common patterns:

Pattern	Meaning
Time + 的時候	at that time / during that time
Clause + 的時候	when something happens / while something happens

1. Time words can come before or after the subject

Before learning「的時候」, you should know that time words in Chinese usually appear before the main action.

A time word can come before the subject or after the subject.

Pattern	Example	English
Subject + Time + Verb	我下午去買東西。 ♬	I go shopping in the afternoon.
Time + Subject + Verb	下午我去買東西。 ♬	In the afternoon, I go shopping.

Both sentences are correct. The first one is very common in daily speech. The second one puts more focus on the time.

2. Time + 的時候

You can add「的時候」after a time word to mean “at that time” or “during that time.”

Pattern	Meaning
Time + 的時候，Subject + Verb...	At that time, someone does something.
Subject + Time + 的時候 + Verb...	Someone does something during that time.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
下午的時候，我去買東西。 ♬	xiàwǔ de shíhòu, wǒ qù mǎi dōngxi	In the afternoon, I go shopping.
我下午的時候去買東西。 ♬	wǒ xiàwǔ de shíhòu qù mǎi dōngxi	I go shopping in the afternoon.

「下午」alone is already enough in many sentences.「下午的時候」sounds a little fuller and means “during the afternoon.”

3. Do you always need 的時候 after a time word?

No. If the time word is simple, you usually do not need「的時候」.

Short and natural	Also possible	English
我下午去買東西。 ♬	我下午的時候去買東西。	I go shopping in the afternoon.
我晚上讀書。 ♬	我晚上的時候讀書。	I study at night.

For beginner learners, use the shorter form first when the time is simple:「下午」、「晚上」、「明天」、「昨天」.

Use「的時候」when you want to say “when...” with a longer clause.

4. Clause + 的時候: when something happens

The most useful pattern is putting「的時候」after a clause.

Pattern	Meaning
Clause + 的時候，Subject + Verb...	When something happens, someone does something.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
他來的時候，你必須跟他道歉。 ♬	tā lái de shíhòu, nǐ bìxū gēn tā dàoqiàn	When he comes, you must apologize to him.
我到家的時候，媽媽已經睡了。 ♬	wǒ dào jiā de shíhòu, māma yǐjīng shuì le	When I got home, Mom was already asleep.
下雨的時候，我不想出門。 ♬	xià yǔ de shíhòu, wǒ bù xiǎng chūmén	When it rains, I do not want to go out.

In this pattern, the part before「的時候」tells us the time condition.

5. Subject can appear before 的時候 or after 的時候

Sometimes the subject belongs to the first clause. Sometimes the subject appears in the second clause.

Pattern	Example	Meaning
Subject + Verb + 的時候，...	他來的時候，你必須跟他道歉。 ♬	When he comes...
Time + 的時候，Subject + Verb...	下午的時候，我去買東西。 ♬	In the afternoon, I...

The key is: the phrase before「的時候」describes the time.

6. 當 dāng + clause + 的時候

You may also see「當」before the clause.「當」means “when” or “at the time when.”

Pattern	Meaning
當 + Clause + 的時候，Subject + Verb...	When something happens, someone does something.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
當他來的時候，你必須跟他道歉。 ♬	dāng tā lái de shíhòu, nǐ bìxū gēn tā dàoqiàn	When he comes, you must apologize to him.
當我看到他的時候，我很緊張。 ♬	dāng wǒ kàndào tā de shíhòu, wǒ hěn jǐnzhāng	When I saw him, I was nervous.

「當」is common, but it is not always necessary. In daily speech, people often omit it.

7. You can often omit 當 dāng

In many sentences,「當」can be omitted and the meaning stays almost the same.

With 當	Without 當
當他來的時候，你必須跟他道歉。 ♬	他來的時候，你必須跟他道歉。 ♬
當我到家的時候，媽媽已經睡了。 ♬	我到家的時候，媽媽已經睡了。 ♬

The version without「當」is usually shorter and more conversational.

8. 的時候 can mean “while”

「的時候」can also mean “while,” especially when two actions happen around the same time.

Chinese	Pinyin	English
我吃飯的時候，不喜歡說話。 ♬	wǒ chīfàn de shíhòu, bù xǐhuān shuōhuà	When I eat / While I am eating, I do not like to talk.
他開車的時候，不能看手機。 ♬	tā kāichē de shíhòu, bù néng kàn shǒujī	When he drives / While he is driving, he cannot look at his phone.

The exact English translation depends on context. Sometimes it is “when,” and sometimes it is “while.”

9. 的時候 with past or future situations

「的時候」does not mark tense by itself. The time meaning depends on the whole sentence.

Time	Chinese	English
Past	我小的時候，住在台北。 ♬	When I was little, I lived in Taipei.
Present / habit	我累的時候，會喝咖啡。 ♬	When I am tired, I drink coffee.
Future	你到家的時候，記得打給我。 ♬	When you get home, remember to call me.

Chinese does not use「的時候」as a tense marker. It only marks the time condition.

10. Common mistake: do not overuse 的時候

Many learners add「的時候」after every time word, but this is not always necessary.

Too heavy	More natural	English
我明天的時候去學校。	我明天去學校。 ♬	I will go to school tomorrow.
我昨天的時候很累。	我昨天很累。 ♬	I was tired yesterday.

Use「的時候」when you want to build a “when...” phrase, especially with a clause. For simple time words, the shorter sentence is usually better.

11. Common mistake: 的時候 is not the same as 時間

「時候」means “time” as in “the time when something happens.” It is not the same as「時間」, which often means “time” as a resource or amount of time.

Word	Meaning	Example
時候 ♬	time when something happens	你來的時候 ♬
時間 ♬	time; amount of time	我沒有時間。 ♬

Quick review

Pattern	Meaning	Example
Subject + Time + Verb	time before the action	我下午去買東西。 ♬
Time + Subject + Verb	time first for emphasis	下午我去買東西。 ♬
Time + 的時候	during that time	下午的時候，我去買東西。 ♬
Clause + 的時候	when something happens	他來的時候，你必須跟他道歉。 ♬
當 + Clause + 的時候	when something happens	當他來的時候，你必須跟他道歉。 ♬
Omit 當	shorter and more conversational	我到家的時候，媽媽已經睡了。 ♬
Simple time word	usually no need for 的時候	我明天去學校。 ♬

Useful vocabulary

Chinese	Pinyin	English
的時候 ♬	de shíhòu	when; at the time when
時候 ♬	shíhòu	time; moment
時間 ♬	shíjiān	time; amount of time
下午 ♬	xiàwǔ	afternoon
晚上 ♬	wǎnshàng	evening; night
明天 ♬	míngtiān	tomorrow
昨天 ♬	zuótiān	yesterday
買東西 ♬	mǎi dōngxi	to shop; to buy things
當 ♬	dāng	when; at the time when
來 ♬	lái	to come
必須 ♬	bìxū	must; have to
跟 ♬	gēn	with; to; and
道歉 ♬	dàoqiàn	to apologize
到家 ♬	dào jiā	to arrive home
已經 ♬	yǐjīng	already
睡了 ♬	shuì le	slept; asleep now
下雨 ♬	xià yǔ	to rain
出門 ♬	chūmén	to go out
開車 ♬	kāichē	to drive
手機 ♬	shǒujī	cell phone
小的時候 ♬	xiǎo de shíhòu	when someone was little
記得 ♬	jìde	to remember
打給我 ♬	dǎ gěi wǒ	call me