Chinese word

什么时候

Pronunciation

Pinyinshén me shí hòu

Meaning

  • adverbwhen

Example

我们什么时候去吃饭？wǒ men shén me shí hòu qù chī fàn

When are we going to eat?

Illustration for 什么时候 (when)

More examples

你什么时候下班？nǐ shén me shí hòu xià bān

When do you get off work?

Core concept

A question that locates an event anywhere on the time line, from a general period to an exact point.

Common phrases

  • 你什么时候来nǐ shén me shí hòu lái

    When are you coming

  • 什么时候吃饭shén me shí hòu chī fàn

    when do you eat

  • 到什么时候dào shén me shí hòu

    until when

Similar words

几时jǐ shí: Asks when an event takes place in everyday conversation.
几点jí diǎn: Asks for the clock time when something happens.
哪天nǎ tiān: Asks which day an event takes place.
何时hé shí: Asks when an event takes place in formal or written language.

Definition in Chinese

用于询问时间，可用于过去、现在或将来的时点，也可以表示大致的时间范围或习惯发生的时期。yòng yú xún wèn shí jiān kě yòng yú guò qù xiàn zài huò jiāng lái de shí diǎn yě ké yǐ biǎo shì dà zhì de shí jiān fàn wéi huò xí guàn fā shēng de shí qī

Word origin

什么时候 (shénmeshíhòu, "when") is formed from 什么 (shénme, "what") + 时候 (shíhòu, "time"), combining a question word with a time word to ask which time an event belongs to.

Usage tips

  • An answer can name a day, date, season, or general period, so the question does not always require a clock time.

Other meanings

  • around whenadverb
  • what timeadverb

Word lists with this word