...时 (when)

• Pinyin: shí
• Formation: Time / Clause + 时 ，Subj. + Predicate
• Hanzi breakdown: 时 = 日 (sun) + 寸 (inch) — simplified form measuring time by the sun

Meaning

时 is used after a time expression or clause to mean 'when' or 'at the time of.' It sets a temporal context for the main clause that follows.

时 functions as a bound morpheme meaning 'time' and is more literary than the colloquial 的时候. In everyday speech, 的时候 is far more common, while 时 alone tends to appear in written Chinese, news, and formal contexts. Both can follow nouns, verbs, or clauses to create temporal adverbial phrases. Common fixed expressions include 小时候 (when one was young), 同时 (at the same time), and 有时 (sometimes). Note that 时 alone is typically not used with very short or simple time references in casual speech — learners should be comfortable with both 时 and 的时候 and understand the register difference.

Examples

1. 上大学时，我交了很多朋友。 When I was in college, I made many friends.
2. 开会时请把手机调成静音。 Please put your phone on silent during the meeting.
3. 他难过时喜欢一个人散步。 When he's sad, he likes to take a walk alone.

Usage Guide

Context: written, formal, news

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 考试时不能看手机。
• 旅行时我喜欢拍很多照片。
• 年轻时他在工厂工作过。

Don't Say

• 我吃饭时候很开心。(时 and 的时候 are different — either use 时 alone or 的时候, not 时候 without 的) → 我吃饭时很开心。
• 时下雨我不出门。(时 must follow the condition clause, not precede it — place it after 下雨) → 下雨时我不出门。

Origin & History

时 derives from the ancient character combining 日 (sun) and 寺 (temple/to hold), suggesting the measurement of time by the sun's position — the concept of marking a specific moment in time.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal