Difference between revisions of "Expressing "when" with "shi""

Revision as of 03:13, 2 March 2016

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By now you should now how to express "when" using "的时候" (de shíhou). But there's also a slightly shorter, more formal way to do it: simply use 时 (shí) all by itself. (No 的!)

(Subject) + Verb / Adj. + 时……

As time words can appear before or after the subject, you can also place the Time + 时 (shí) after the subject.

There are two great examples of this pattern in the poem 远和近 by 顾城 (note that the provided translation is not always literal):

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 <div class="liju">
-* 你，<span class="trans">You,</span>
+*  你 去 面试 时，要 穿 得 正式 一点。<span class="trans"> <em>when</em>  </span>
-* 一会 看 我 ，<span class="trans">look at me one moment,</span>
+*  他们 结婚 时，只 请 了 几 个 最 好 的 朋友。<span class="trans"> <em>when</em>  </span>
-* 一会 看 云 。<span class="trans">and at the clouds the next.</span>
+*  大学 毕业 时，他们 分手 了。<span class="trans"> <em>when</em>  </span>
-* 我 觉得 ，<span class="trans">I feel,</span>
+*  飞机 起飞 时，他 关 了 手机 和 电脑。<span class="trans"> <em>when</em>  </span>
-* 你 看 我 <em>时</em> 很 远 ，<span class="trans"><em>when</em> you're looking at me, you're far away,</span>
+*  你 出门 <em>时</em> 不 要 忘 了 带 钥匙。 <span class="trans"><em>when</em>  </span>
-* 你 看 云 <em>时</em> 很 近 。<span class="trans">but <em>when</em> you’re looking at the clouds, how could we be nearer!</span>
+*  我们 考试 <em>时</em> 不 能 看 手机。<span class="trans"> <em>when</em> </span>
 </div>