---
title: "…的时候 in Chinese Grammar: When …, With Examples"
description: "…的时候: when …. X 的时候: at the time when X. 4 real lines from stories, each word explained."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/de-shihou"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese grammar](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar)

# …的时候

When …

X 的时候: at the time when X.

## In stories

**吃饭的时候**看，睡觉前也看。”

[女儿画妈妈 · Body parts in Chinese](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/body-parts-in-chinese#library-word-176-181) HSK 1

妈妈说：“**你上大学的时候**，妈妈都给你。”

[中国小朋友喜欢的两天 · Chinese culture for kids](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/chinese-culture-for-kids#library-word-205-212) HSK 1

**大家说话的时候**，不说“十元”，说“十块”。

[十元还是十块？ · Chinese money: what are yuan, kuai and mao?](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/chinese-money-what-are-yuan-kuai-and-mao#library-word-29-36) HSK 1

**开车的时候**出了事，给122打电话。

[110、119、120 · Emergency numbers in China](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/emergency-numbers-in-china#library-word-93-98) HSK 1

[Read 女儿画妈妈](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/body-parts-in-chinese#library-word-176-181)

## More patterns

- [是…的 (emphasis) it was … that (stresses when, where, how or who)](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/shi-de)
- [像…一样/似的 like …; as … as …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/xiang-yiyang)
- [有的…，有的… some …, others …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/youde-youde)
- [最…的是 (the most … thing is) the most … thing is (that) …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/zui-de-shi)
- [把 + object + verb do something to … (and it ends up changed)](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/ba)
- [verb (+ 了) + duration (for how long) for … (how long … lasts)](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/duration)

## What does …的时候 mean in Chinese?

When …. X 的时候: at the time when X.

## How common is …的时候?

It comes up in 118 readings of the 392 stories and articles in our free Library.

## Does it correct my mistakes?

No. It shows which patterns a text uses and what each one does; it doesn’t mark errors. Paste a sentence you wrote to see whether it uses the pattern you meant.

## More free tools

- [Chinese dictionary](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dictionary)
- [Measure words](https://mandarinthewild.com/measure-words)
- [How hard is this text?](https://mandarinthewild.com/text-level)
- [Free Chinese stories](https://mandarinthewild.com/library)

Patterns found by our own parser; lines from our free Library.