HSK 5 · VERSION 2.0#28

Expressing “When” with “dāng”

当……的时候 / 当……时

dāng...de shíhou / dāng...shí

How it works

当……的时候 (dāng...de shíhou) and 当……时 (dāng...shí) mean “when...” They are used to introduce the time when something happens.

Compared with simple ……的时候 (de shíhou), the form with 当 (dāng) often sounds more written, more formal, or more narrative.

当 (dāng) + Clause + 的时候 (de shíhou) 当 (dāng) + Clause + 时 (shí)

当我第一次见到他的时候，就觉得这个人很值得信任。

Dāng wǒ dì yī cì jiàn dào tā de shíhou, jiù juéde zhège rén hěn zhídé xìnrèn.

When I first met him, I felt that he was someone worth trusting.

当大家都在讨论这个问题时，他一直保持沉默。

Dāng dàjiā dōu zài tǎolùn zhège wèntí shí, tā yìzhí bǎochí chénmò.

When everyone was discussing this issue, he remained silent the whole time.

当遇到困难的时候，最重要的是不要轻易放弃。

Dāng yùdào kùnnan de shíhou, zuì zhòngyào de shì búyào qīngyì fàngqì.

When facing difficulties, the most important thing is not to give up easily.

The version with 当 (dāng) is especially common in formal writing, speeches, and narrative explanation.