とき

Writing

Can be written as 時(とき) with kanji, but often written in hiragana, especially when used as a grammatical conjunction.

Common patterns

• V(plain) + とき (when doing V)
• V(た) + とき (after doing V / when V happened)
• A(い) + とき (when A)
• N + の + とき (at the time of N)

Common expressions

• そのとき (at that time)
• このとき (at this time)
• あのとき (at that time - past)
• どんなときも (at any time, always)

Watch out

The verb before とき sets the order of events: 日本(にほん)へ行(い)くときカメラを買(か)った means the camera was bought before leaving (on the way); 日本(にほん)へ行(い)ったとき means after arriving in Japan.

Similar words

• とき vs. 場合(ばあい)
• とき: general temporal "when"
• 場合(ばあい): conditional "in the case that"