How to Say ‘When’ in Simplified Chinese
什么时候
shén me shí hòu
[shénme shíhou]
💬 Usage Tip: 什么时候 (shén me shí hou) goes before the verb, not at the end like "when" can in English: 你什么时候来？ "When are you coming?"
Phrase Breakdown
什么
shén me
[shénme]
what
Question word asking about things.
你想吃什么？
What do you want to eat?
时候
shí hòu
[shíhou]
time; moment
Used after a phrase to mean 'when ...'.
吃饭的时候别看手机。
Don't look at your phone while eating.
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