The Structure "。。。的时候" Indicating Time

In Mandarin Chinese, the structure "。。。的时候" (de shíhou) is used to indicate the time when something happens. This structure is equivalent to "when" in English.

Usage:

• The structure "。。。的时候" is used to specify the time when a certain action or state occurs.
• It can be used with different tenses (past, present, and future).

Examples:

• 我吃饭 的时候，他来了。(Wǒ chīfàn de shíhou, tā lái le.) - When I was eating, he came.
• 你回家 的时候，请给我打电话。(Nǐ huí jiā de shíhou, qǐng gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.) - Please call me when you are going home.
• 他学习 的时候，喜欢听音乐。(Tā xuéxí de shíhou, xǐhuān tīng yīnyuè.) - He likes to listen to music when he studies.

Additional Notes:

• The structure "。。。的时候" is used to describe time in a broad sense, covering both specific moments and longer periods.
• It can be used with action verbs as well as states or qualities.