Word · Frequency #54
when
当……时；在……的时候；每当……时；如果
at the time that; during the time that; whenever; if
- 1.
At (or as soon as) that time that; at the (or any and every) time that; if.
在那时(或一...就...)；在任何时候；如果。
- 2.
During the time that; at the time of the action of the following clause or participle phrase.
在...期间；当后续从句或分词短语的动作发生时。
- 3.
At what time; at which time.
在何时；在那个时候。
- 4.
Since; given the fact that; considering that.
既然；鉴于；考虑到。
- 5.
Whereas; although; at the same time as; in spite of the fact that.
然而；虽然；与此同时；尽管事实上。
何时；在什么时候；既然；鉴于；考虑到；尽管；虽然；可是；在那时(或一...就...)；在任何时候；如果。；在...期间；当后续从句或分词短语的动作发生时。
In use
I was cooking dinner when the lights went out.
When you arrive, call me.
When it rains, the ground gets slippery.
when + clause
表示主句动作发生时，从句动作同时发生或紧接着发生。
I was reading when he arrived.
他到达时我正在读书。
when + present participle
现在分词短语作时间状语，主语与主句一致。
When leaving, please lock the door.
离开时请锁门。
when + past participle
过去分词短语表示被动，主语与主句一致。
When heated, ice melts.
加热时，冰会融化。
Common mistakes
Connections
Collocations
- when it comes to
- 当谈到；在…方面
- When it comes to learning languages, practice is key.当谈到学习语言时，练习是关键。
- when in doubt
- 有疑问时；拿不准时
- When in doubt, consult a dictionary.有疑问时，查一下词典。
- when the time comes
- 到时候；时机成熟时
- We will make a decision when the time comes.到时候我们会做出决定。
- when least expected
- 在最意想不到的时候
- Success often arrives when least expected.成功往往在最意想不到的时候到来。
- when opportunity knocks
- 当机会来临时
- When opportunity knocks, seize it.当机会来临时，要抓住它。
Idioms & figurative uses
Learner notes
Memory Tip
联想记忆：when 发音像中文“问”（wèn），常用来问“什么时候/在何时”，看到 when 就想到时钟和问号，记住它跟时间有关。
Context & Register
语域：neutral 常见场景：日常对话、书面叙述、时间或条件从句 作为连词，when 在口语和书面语中都很常见，语气中性。具体含义（时间、条件、原因或对比）需根据上下文判断。
Grammar Note
引导时间状语从句，表示'当...时'
Pronunciation & Spelling
These words all rhyme with 'when' /ʍɛn/: they share the stressed vowel and final /ɛn/. Note that the spelling lookalikes 'where' (/wɛr/ or /ʍɛr/), 'went' (/wɛnt/), 'win' (/wɪn/), and 'wine' (/waɪn/) do not rhyme because their stressed vowels or following sounds differ.
High-value vocabulary
该词属于 Oxford 核心词汇，值得优先掌握常见搭配和句型。
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 5，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from AI_FALLBACK, DICTIONARY_API_DEV, ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.