时候 (shíhòu) — time / when in Mandarin
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#126 most common word · HSK 1 · CEFR A1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
时候 is pronounced shíhòu. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Nàge shíhòu wǒ zài xuéxiào.
At that time I was at school.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 时候 mean?+
时候 (shíhòu) means "time / when" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 时候?+
时候 is pronounced shíhòu. It uses the tone 2 (rising), then the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 时候 in Mandarin?+
时候 is the #126 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 时候 fits
Every HSK 1 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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