n.
time; moment; period
时候
time; moment; period
A point in time or a duration. Almost universally paired with 的 (的时候) to mean 'when / while doing something'.
Common Usage & Traps
- 的时候 — when; during the time of — the workhorse pattern for 'when I do X' or 'when it was Y'
- 什么时候 — when? — the question word you will use every single day
- 有时候 — sometimes (literally 'there are times')
- 小时候 — when I was little; as a kid
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在时候在...的时候 (在吃饭的时候 / 在下雨的时候)时候 never stands alone. It has to lean on the event in front of it, so 在 + 时候 by itself sounds like 'at time' in English.
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你有时候吗?你有时间吗?This flips the meaning completely. 时间 is time you can have or not have; 有时候 means 'sometimes'. Asking 你有时候吗 makes no sense to a native ear.
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什么时候你去?你什么时候去?Straight English word order. Chinese puts the subject first, then the question word, then the verb.
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我是小的时候我小的时候 / 我小时候The 是 makes it sound like you are defining yourself as 'a little time'. Drop the 是 and let 的时候 attach to the description.
Can you just say 在时候 to mean 'at the time'?
在时候 is not a shortcut, it is broken — 时候 always needs an event in front of it.
时候 is a frame word, and it always leans on whatever comes before it. So you say 在吃饭的时候, 在下雨的时候, or 今天白天的时候. As seen in 《很贵的苹果》, when saying 今天白天的时候，我去我家这边的超市买东西, the 的时候 hangs off 今天白天 — the moment you are pointing at. Strip that piece away and 在时候 floats with nothing to hold on to. Native ears hear it the way you hear 'at time' in English, which is to say, as a mistake.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 在 + event + 的时候 | 在时候 |
| Everyday example | 在吃饭的时候别说话 | 在时候别说话 |
| Feel | Smooth, native, normal | Sounds like 'at time' |
What is the difference between 时候 and 时间 (and why does 你有时间吗 work but 你有时候吗 fail)?
时候 is a moment tied to an event; 时间 is clock time you can have, save, or waste.
English squeezes both ideas into the single word 'time', and Chinese splits them apart. 时候 is a moment tied to something happening — 我回家的时候, 吃饭的时候, 小的时候. 时间 is measurable clock or calendar time you can have, kill, or run out of — 你有时间吗? That is exactly why 什么时候 asks 'when?', while 你有时候吗 sounds like gibberish. If you want to ask 'how long', reach for 多长时间 instead.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | 时候 = a moment, an occasion | 时间 = an amount of time |
| Question form | 什么时候来? (When are you coming?) | 什么时候时间来? |
| Possession | 你有时间吗? (Do you have time?) | 你有时候吗? |
| Duration | 要等多长时间? | 要等多少时候? |
Where does 什么时候 go — do you say 什么时候你去 or 你什么时候去?
你什么时候去 is right — the question word sits exactly where the answer would go.
Chinese question words do not jump to the front of the sentence the way English ones do. 什么时候 stays right in the slot where the answer would land: 我明天去 becomes 你什么时候去? Subject first, then 什么时候, then the verb. Opening with 什么时候 sounds like you translated 'When do you...' word by word from English. The same rule covers 谁, 什么, and 在哪儿, so this one habit pays off everywhere.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Basic question | 你什么时候去? | 什么时候你去? |
| With a place | 你什么时候来我家? | 什么时候你来我家? |
| The logic | Question word replaces the answer | Question word jumps to the front |
Is 我小的时候 the same as 我小时候, and why does 我是小的时候 sound off?
Both 我小的时候 and 我小时候 are natural — but 我是小的时候 is not.
的时候 simply glues onto whatever sits in front of it, and 小时候 turned into a fixed chunk because people say it constantly. 我小的时候 is a touch more explicit, 小时候 is shorter and more casual, and both sound fine at the dinner table. What breaks is 我是小的时候, which sounds like you are defining yourself as 'a little time'. Keep 是 out of a 的时候 phrase unless you genuinely mean 'is'.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | 我小时候爱吃糖 | 我是小的时候爱吃糖 |
| Slightly fuller | 我小的时候爱吃糖 | 我的小的时候爱吃糖 |
| Pattern | description + 的时候 | 是 + 的时候 |
Appears in Stories 7 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.
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春天和夏天雨水少，温度高的 时候 ，人们也要特别小心森林大火。
Meet Gao Youpeng, a friendly Beijing coworker who welcomes the narrator with local dishes and a simple language-exchange plan. This warm HSK 2 story is perfect for first readings about work and friendship.
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他也在中为公司工作，但是因为周一我来公司的 时候 ，他去上海了，所以我没有看见他。
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
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说这句话的 时候 ，他筷子搁在碗上。
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烤和牛上桌的 时候 别人都在夹。
Think instant noodles are unhealthy? This HSK 6 article challenges common myths and reveals surprising facts about nutrition, oil, and salt in this convenient food.
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就是说，高温的 时候 也不容易产生有害物质。
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我们通常说，加热食品的 时候 ，最高不能超过200℃。
Is four years to reach HSK 5 fast or slow? Follow a conversation between two learners as they compare study hours and share realistic strategies for busy adults.
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B：我们说话的 时候 ，只说“汉语”就可以了，就是说“中文老师、汉语老师”都可以。
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我去年住在上海的 时候 ，去一个汉语学校学习汉语，学了一个月。
Read about a work trip to Beijing where a group of colleagues takes a very large airplane. Practice weather words and actions in a simple travel story.
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到北京的 时候 ，北京正在下大雨。
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我们下飞机的 时候 是白天，但是天气有一点儿冷。
This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.
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今天白天的 时候 ，我去我家这边的超市买东西。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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