connective N5 essential casualpolitewritten
とき — when ~ (at the time that)
とき / 時 ・ とき
Meaning
- when ~ / at the time that ~ — frames the time at which the main event happens
Key sentence
子どもの時、よくここで遊んだ。
When I was a child, I often played here.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Clause (adnominal) / noun / na-adjective | plain form + とき; N + の + とき; na-adj + な + とき | 暇なとき / 雨のとき |
Examples
日本に行くとき、カメラを買った。
When I went to Japan (before going), I bought a camera.
行くとき — non-past: action precedes the trip
日本に行ったとき、カメラを買った。
When I went to Japan (once there), I bought a camera.
行ったとき — past: action after arriving
When you can't use it
- The tense of the clause before とき sets the timing: V-る とき = the main action happens before / on the way to the clause action; V-た とき = after it is complete. 寝るとき (before sleeping) vs 寝たとき (after falling asleep).
Notes
- Written either as 時 or in kana とき; the kana form is common when it's grammatical rather than the literal noun 'time'.
See とき / 時 in real sentences
Jengo shows とき / 時 the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.