Chinese phrase
合同什么时候生效？ hé tóng shén me shí hòu shēng xiào
Meaning
When does the contract take effect?
When to use it
Asks when a contract officially becomes active. It is a clear, neutral way to clarify the start date of an agreement.
Example dialogue
请问，合同什么时候生效？ qǐng wèn hé tóng shén me shí hòu shēng xiào
Excuse me, when does the contract take effect?
从下学期的开学日开始生效。 cóng xià xué qī de kāi xué rì kāi shǐ shēng xiào
It takes effect on the first day of next semester.