的时候 (de shíhou): How to Say “When” / “While”
的时候 (de shíhou) means “when” or “while” — it marks the time something happens, attached to the END of the time clause: Verb/Adj + 的时候 (我上大学的时候 = “when I was in college”). Unlike English, the “when” comes last.
Why this trips learners up
To say when or while something happens, Chinese closes the time clause with 的时候 (de shíhou) — it comes at the end, the reverse of English “when…”. It's (Subject) + Verb / Adj + 的时候: 上课的时候 (“when in class”), 我小的时候 (“when I was little”), 你不在的时候 (“when you're not here”). Where English opens with “when I was in college,” Chinese says 我上大学的时候 — the “when” lands last.
的时候 marks a span — a backdrop during which something else happens, and the two halves can have different subjects (你打球的时候，我看书 = “while you play ball, I read”). That's what sets it apart from 以后 (“after”): 吃饭的时候 is “while eating”, 吃饭以后 is “after eating” — a stretch of time versus a point past it. The 的 is part of the package (it's 的时候, not bare 时候), and in writing it often shrinks to a single 时: 上课时, 写作业时.
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
wǒ 我 Subject lèi 累 Adjective de shíhou 的时候 Pattern xǐhuan 喜欢 Verb tīng 听 Verb yīnyuè 音乐 Object
When I'm tired, I like to listen to music.
xiàyǔ 下雨 Verb de shíhou 的时候 Pattern lùshang 路上 Place chē 车 Subject hěn 很 Adverb duō 多 Adjective
When it rains, there's a lot of traffic on the road.
wǒ 我 Subject xiǎo 小 Adjective de shíhou 的时候 Pattern zhù 住 Verb zài 在 Verb yí gè 一个 Measure word xiǎo chéngshì 小城市 Object
When I was little, I lived in a small city.
nǐ 你 Subject dǎ 打 Verb lánqiú 篮球 Object de shíhou 的时候 Pattern wǒ 我 Subject zài 在 Verb pángbiān 旁边 Place kàn 看 Verb
While you play basketball, I watch from the side.
jiànmiàn 见面 Verb de shíhou 的时候 Pattern jìde 记得 Verb dài shàng 带上 Verb nǐ 你 Subject de 的 Function word hùzhào 护照 Object
When we meet, remember to bring your passport.
wǒ 我 Subject jǐnzhāng 紧张 Adjective de shíhou 的时候 Pattern huì 会 Function word yìzhí 一直 Adverb shuōhuà 说话 Verb
When I'm nervous, I talk non-stop.
gāng 刚 Adverb dào 到 Verb Zhōngguó 中国 Place de shíhou 的时候 Pattern wǒ 我 Subject yí jù 一句 Measure word Zhōngwén 中文 Object dōu 都 Adverb bù 不 Negation huì 会 Function word shuō 说 Verb
When I'd just arrived in China, I couldn't speak a word of Chinese.
xiě zuòyè 写作业 Verb shí 时 Pattern zuìhǎo 最好 Adverb bǎ 把 Function word shǒujī 手机 Object fàng 放 Verb zài 在 Verb lìng yí gè 另一个 Measure word fángjiān 房间 Object
When doing homework, it's best to put your phone in another room.
Common mistakes
Why it happens: 的时候 closes the time clause — it doesn't open it like English “when”. “Don't chat in a meeting” is 开会的时候别聊天, not 的时候开会…. Put the event first, then 的时候.
Why it happens: 的时候 is a span (“while / during”); for a point after something, use 以后. “After work I'll call you” is 下班以后给你打电话 — 下班的时候 would mean “at the moment of getting off work”. While → 的时候; after → 以后.
Why it happens: The “when” that opens a statement is 的时候 — not 什么时候, which is the question word “when?”. “When I was little” is 我小的时候, while 你什么时候来？ is “when are you coming?”.
Compare & contrast
| 的时候 — “while / during” (a span) | 以后 — “after” (a point, then the next thing) | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 吃饭的时候chīfàn de shíhou | 吃饭以后chīfàn yǐhòu | 吃饭的时候 = “while eating” — something else happens during the meal. 吃饭以后 = “after eating” — the next thing comes once it's done. |
| 我在上海的时候认识了她。wǒ zài Shànghǎi de shíhou rènshi le tā. | 我到上海以后认识了她。wǒ dào Shànghǎi yǐhòu rènshi le tā. | 我在上海的时候认识了她 = “I met her while I was in Shanghai”. 我到上海以后认识了她 = “I met her after I got to Shanghai”. |
Try it yourself
Say “Don't play on your phone in class” (…的时候…) — tap the words into order.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
的时候 (de shíhou): How to Say “When” / “While” grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.