Word
Definition
conj. at the time that something happens. You use this to connect two events or to ask about a specific time.
conj. at or during the time that something occurs. Functions as a subordinating conjunction to introduce temporal clauses or as a relative adverb in certain syntactic structures.
Examples
“I will call you when I arrive at the station.”
“The lights usually flicker when the old elevator starts moving in the hallway.”
“When the final results were eventually published, the research team discovered that their initial hypothesis had been correct all along.”
Examples
simple
“I will call you when I arrive at the station.”
contextual
“The lights usually flicker when the old elevator starts moving in the hallway.”
complex
“When the final results were eventually published, the research team discovered that their initial hypothesis had been correct all along.”
Usage
Commonly used to introduce a subordinate clause; when the 'when' clause comes first, it is usually followed by a comma.
Pitfall
I will tell him when he will arrive.
I will tell him when he arrives.
In future-time clauses introduced by 'when', use the present simple tense instead of 'will'.
Etymology
From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic hwan, from Proto-Germanic hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European kʷís (interrogative base). Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who. Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/when
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0