HSK · Level 51
105 words
Chinese word
何时
Pronunciation
Pinyinhé shí
Meaning
- adverbwhen
Example
你何时有空？nǐ hé shí yǒu kòng
When are you free?
More examples
人们依然不知何时能找到合适的治疗方法。rén men yī rán bù zhī hé shí néng zhǎo dào hé shì de zhì liáo fāng fǎ
People still do not know when a suitable treatment can be found.
Core concept
A question that places an event at a particular point or period on the timeline.
Common phrases
不知何时bù zhī hé shí
not know when
到何时为止dào hé shí wéi zhǐ
until when
何时开始hé shí kāi shǐ
when it starts
Similar words
什么时候shén me shí hòu: Asking at what time or during what period something happens in ordinary conversation.
几时jǐ shí: Asking at what time or during what period something happens in a brief conversational form.
Definition in Chinese
用于询问时间的疑问副词，表示“什么时候”，常放在句首或动词前，用来询问某一时点或时期。yòng yú xún wèn shí jiān de yí wèn fù cí biǎo shì shén me shí hòu cháng fàng zài jù shǒu huò dòng cí qián yòng lái xún wèn mǒu yì shí diǎn huò shí qī
Word origin
何 (hé, "what") + 时 (shí, "time") literally asks which time, forming a compact question about when something happens.
Usage tips
- Unlike English, Chinese places this time question word before the verb or at the start of the clause, with no auxiliary verb required.