shénme shíhou: 什么时候 - When, What time

• Keywords: 什么时候, shenme shihou, when in Chinese, how to ask what time in Chinese, Chinese question words, learning Chinese when, what time Chinese pinyin, HSK 1 grammar, Chinese for beginners
• Summary: Learn how to use “什么时候 (shénme shíhou),” the essential Chinese question phrase for asking “when” or “what time.” This comprehensive guide covers its meaning, character breakdown, cultural context, and practical sentence examples. Perfect for beginners, this page will help you master one of the most fundamental questions for scheduling and daily conversation in Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shénme shíhou
• Part of Speech: Interrogative Phrase (Question Word)
• HSK Level: HSK 1
• Concise Definition: A question phrase used to ask “when” or “at what time”.
• In a Nutshell: “什么时候 (shénme shíhou)” is your universal tool for asking about time in Chinese. It's incredibly versatile and straightforward, covering everything from “What time is the movie?” to “When is your birthday?” to “When did you arrive?”. Unlike English which distinguishes between “when” and “what time,” “什么时候” handles both, making it one of the first and most crucial phrases for any learner to master.

• 什 (shén): In modern Chinese, this character doesn't typically stand alone. It combines with 么 to form “what”.
• 么 (me): A particle that, when paired with 什 (shén), forms the word 什么 (shénme), which means “what”.
• 时 (shí): This character means “time” or “hour”. The radical on the left (日) means “sun,” linking the concept of time to the sun's movement across the sky.
• 候 (hòu): This character can mean “to wait” or refer to a specific time or season.
• The characters literally combine to mean “what time/moment?”. The question word 什么 (what) is paired with the noun 时候 (time, moment) to directly ask for information about time.

While “什么时候” is a functional phrase without deep philosophical meaning, its usage reflects an important aspect of Chinese grammar and communication. In English, “When” is typically placed at the very beginning of a question (“When are you going to the store?”). In Chinese, “什么时候” is placed where the answer would logically go in a statement. This follows the standard Subject-Adverbial(Time)-Verb-Object sentence structure.

• Statement: 我 明天 去商店。 (Wǒ míngtiān qù shāngdiàn.) - I am going to the store tomorrow.
• Question: 你 什么时候 去商店？ (Nǐ shénme shíhou qù shāngdiàn?) - You are going to the store when?

This structural difference is a key insight into Chinese grammar. You aren't rearranging the sentence to ask a question; you are simply substituting the “time” part of the statement with the “what time” question phrase. It's a simple, elegant system.

“什么时候” is used constantly in all aspects of modern life. It's a neutral term, appropriate for both formal and informal situations.

• Making Plans: It's the primary way to schedule activities with friends, family, and colleagues. (e.g., “我们什么时候吃晚饭？” - When are we having dinner?)
• Asking About Events: Used to inquire about the timing of past, present, or future events. (e.g., “派对是什么时候开始的？” - When did the party start?)
• Travel and Appointments: Essential for asking about departure times, meeting times, and opening/closing hours. (e.g., “火车什么时候到？” - When does the train arrive?)

Its meaning is always direct and clear. The context is determined entirely by the rest of the sentence.

• Example 1:
  • 你什么时候下班？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ shénme shíhou xiàbān?
  • English: When do you get off work?
  • Analysis: A very common, everyday question. Notice how “什么时候” comes right after the subject “你” (you) and before the verb phrase “下班” (get off work).
• Example 2:
  • 电影什么时候开始？
  • Pinyin: Diànyǐng shénme shíhou kāishǐ?
  • English: What time does the movie start?
  • Analysis: Here, the subject is “电影” (movie). The structure remains Subject + 什么时候 + Verb.
• Example 3:
  • 你的生日是什么时候？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de shēngrì shì shénme shíhou?
  • English: When is your birthday?
  • Analysis: This is a standard pattern for asking about dates. The structure is “[Topic] is when?”.
• Example 4:
  • 我们什么时候去北京旅游？
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen shénme shíhou qù Běijīng lǚyóu?
  • English: When are we going to travel to Beijing?
  • Analysis: Used here to ask about future plans. The answer could be a specific date (“next month”) or a general time (“next summer”).
• Example 5:
  • 你是什么时候到中国的？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ shì shénme shíhou dào Zhōngguó de?
  • English: When did you arrive in China?
  • Analysis: The “是…的” (shì…de) structure is used here to emphasize the time of a past event. This is a very common pattern for asking “when” something happened.
• Example 6:
  • 你觉得他什么时候会回来？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ juéde tā shénme shíhou huì huílái?
  • English: When do you think he will come back?
  • Analysis: This shows “什么时候” used within a more complex sentence. The core question “他什么时候会回来” (when will he come back) is embedded after “你觉得” (you think).
• Example 7:
  • 我应该什么时候给你打电话？
  • Pinyin: Wǒ yīnggāi shénme shíhou gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà?
  • English: When should I call you?
  • Analysis: A polite way to ask for a convenient time, using “应该” (yīnggāi - should).
• Example 8:
  • 这个包裹什么时候能送到？
  • Pinyin: Zhège bāoguǒ shénme shíhou néng sòngdào?
  • English: When can this package be delivered?
  • Analysis: A practical question used in e-commerce and logistics, very common in modern China.
• Example 9:
  • 你忘了我们是什么时候第一次见面的吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ wàng le wǒmen shì shénme shíhou dì-yī cì jiànmiàn de ma?
  • English: Have you forgotten when we met for the first time?
  • Analysis: Demonstrates “什么时候” as part of a clause within a larger question.
• Example 10:
  • A: 我下周去上海。 (Wǒ xià zhōu qù Shànghǎi.) - I'm going to Shanghai next week.
  • B: 什么时候？ ( Shénme shíhou? ) - When?
  • Analysis: “什么时候” can be used as a standalone follow-up question, just like “When?” in English.

• Mistake 1: Incorrect Sentence Placement
  • English speakers often wrongly place “什么时候” at the start of the sentence.
  • Incorrect: ~~什么时候你去商店？~~ (Shénme shíhou nǐ qù shāngdiàn?)
  • Correct: 你什么时候去商店？ (Nǐ shénme shíhou qù shāngdiàn?)
  • Rule of Thumb: Place “什么时候” where the answer (the time word) would go in a statement: “I go to the store tomorrow” → “You go to the store when?”.
• Mistake 2: Confusing 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) with 几点 (jǐ diǎn)
  • These are not interchangeable.
  • 什么时候 (shénme shíhou): Asks “when” in general. The answer can be a time, day, month, season, or year. It is broad.
    • Q: 你什么时候来？ (When are you coming?)
    • A: 明天下午。 (Tomorrow afternoon.)
  • 几点 (jǐ diǎn): Asks specifically “what time on the clock?”. It is narrow.
    • Q: 你几点来？ (What time are you coming?)
    • A: 三点半。 (3:30.)
• Mistake 3: Overusing 是 (shì)
  • For questions about actions, you generally don't need to add the verb “to be” (是, shì).
  • Incorrect: ~~你是什么时候吃饭？~~ (Nǐ shì shénme shíhou chīfàn?)
  • Correct: 你什么时候吃饭？ (Nǐ shénme shíhou chīfàn?)
  • Exception: You do use “是…的” when you are specifically emphasizing the time of a past action. (See Example 5 above). For general questions about future or habitual actions, omit the 是.

• 几点 (jǐ diǎn) - “What time (on the clock)?”. A more specific question about the hour.
• 多长时间 (duō cháng shíjiān) - “How long?”. Asks about the duration of an event, not the point in time it occurs.
• 多久 (duō jiǔ) - A more colloquial way to say “how long?”.
• 时候 (shíhou) - “Time; moment”. The noun part of our main term. Used in statements like “我吃饭的时候…” (When I am eating…).
• 当时 (dāngshí) - “At that time; then”. Refers to a specific moment in the past.
• 以后 (yǐhòu) - “After; later; in the future”.
• 以前 (yǐqián) - “Before; previously; in the past”.
• 有时 (yǒushí) - “Sometimes”. Also written as 有的时候 (yǒu de shíhou).