<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta name="generator" content= "HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Linux version 5.2.0" /> <title></title> </head> <body> <p>By now you should now <a href= ""When"_with_"de_shihou"" title="wikilink">how to express "when" using "的时候" (de shíhou)</a>. But there's also a slightly shorter, more formal way to do it: simply use 时 (shí) all by itself. (No 的!)</p> <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <div class="jiegou"> <p>(Subj. +) Verb / Adj. + 时⋯⋯</p> </div> <p>As time words can appear <a href="Time_words_and_word_order" title="wikilink">before or after the subject</a>, you can also place the <em>Time + 时 (shí)</em> after the subject.</p> <p>There are two great examples of this pattern in the poem below.</p> <p>你</p> <p>一会儿看我</p> <p>一会儿看云</p> <p>你看我时很远</p> <p>你看云时很近</p> <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li>考试 <em>时</em> 不要 说话 。<span class="pinyin">Kǎoshì <em>shí</em> bùyào shuōhuà.</span><span class="trans">When you take a test, don't talk.</span></li> <li>面试 <em>时</em> ，要 穿 得 正式 一点 。<span class="pinyin">Miànshì <em>shí</em>, yào chuān de zhèngshì yīdiǎn.</span><span class= "trans">When you go to the interview, you have to dress a little more formally.</span></li> <li>会议 结束 <em>时</em> 老板 才 来 。<span class="pinyin">Huìyì jiéshù <em>shí</em> lǎobǎn cái lái.</span><span class="trans">The boss showed up when the meeting was over.</span></li> <li>我 生气 <em>时</em> 不 想 说话 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ shēngqì <em>shí</em> bù xiǎng shuōhuà.</span><span class="trans">I don't want to talk when I'm angry.</span></li> <li>他们 结婚 <em>时</em> 什么 都 没有 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen jiéhūn <em>shí</em> shénme dōu méiyǒu.</span><span class="trans">They've got nothing when they got married.</span></li> <li>大学 毕业 <em>时</em> ，他们 分手 了 。<span class="pinyin">Dàxué bìyè <em>shí</em>, tāmen fēnshǒu le.</span><span class="trans">When they graduated, they broke up.</span></li> <li>飞机 起飞 <em>时</em> ，他 关 了 手机 和 电脑 。<span class="pinyin">Fēijī qǐfēi <em>shí</em>, tā guān le shǒujī hé diànnǎo.</span><span class="trans">When the plane took off, he turned off his cell phone and computer.</span></li> <li>他 去世 <em>时</em> 儿女 都 不 在 身边 。<span class="pinyin">Tā qùshì <em>shí</em> érnǚ dōu bù zài shēnbiān.</span><span class= "trans">His parents weren't home when he passed away.</span></li> <li>我们 公司 成立 <em>时</em> 只有 三 个 人 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen gōngsī chénglì <em>shí</em> zhǐyǒu sān gè rén.</span><span class= "trans">There were only three people when this company was founded.</span></li> <li>跟 父母 说话 <em>时</em> 不要 玩 手机 。<span class="pinyin">Gēn fùmǔ shuōhuà <em>shí</em> bùyào wán shǒujī.</span><span class= "trans">Stop playing with your cell phone when you talk with your parents.</span></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li><a href="Before_a_specific_time" title="wikilink">Before a specific time</a></li> <li><a href="In_the_future_in_general" title="wikilink">In the future in general</a></li> <li><a href="Comparing_"yihou"_and_"de_shihou"" title="wikilink">Comparing "yihou" and "de shihou"</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2> <h3 id="books">Books</h3> <ul> <li><a href="Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar" title= "wikilink">Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar</a> (pp. 24-5) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933330899/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1933330899"> →buy</a></li> <li><a href="Integrated_Chinese:_Level_1,_Part_2_(3rd_ed)" title= "wikilink">Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)</a> (pp. 293-4) <a href= "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709"> →buy</a></li> </ul> <p><a href="Category:B1_grammar_points" title= "wikilink">Category:B1 grammar points</a></p> </body> </html>