「～時」- Expressing Time or Interval

Explanation

～時とき is an important grammatical point in Japanese used to express a point in time or the interval between events. It is primarily used to describe the context or situation when a specific action or event occurs. Mastering the usage of ～時とき allows for more accurate expression of time-related concepts.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
～時とき	Verb/Adjective/Noun + ときとき	Used to indicate the point in time when an action or state occurs.

Basic Usage

～時とき is used to indicate the point in time when an action or state occurs. It is commonly paired with verbs, adjectives, or nouns to form different sentence structures.

Usage with Verbs

• When the verb is in the present or future tense, it indicates the time when the action occurs.
  • 日本にほんへ行いくときとき、写真しゃしんを撮とります。
  • Nihon e iku toki, shashin o torimasu.
  • I take photos when I go to Japan.
    
  • 日本にほんへ行いったときとき、写真しゃしんを撮とりました。
  • Nihon e itta toki, shashin o torimashita.
  • I took photos after going to Japan.

Usage with Adjectives and Nouns

• When adjectives or nouns are used before ～時とき, they indicate the time when the state exists.
  • 若わかいときとき、たくさん旅行りょこうしました。
  • Wakai toki, takusan ryokou shimashita.
  • I traveled a lot when I was young.
    
  • 学生がくせいのときとき、この本ほんを読よみました。
  • Gakusei no toki, kono hon o yomimashita.
  • I read this book when I was a student.

Advanced Usage

Expressing Sequence of Actions

～時とき can be used to express the sequence of two actions.

• 「動詞どうしの非過去ひかこ形+ときとき、動詞どうし」: Indicates that the second action occurs before the first action is completed.
  • 家いえを出でるときとき、電気でんきを消けしてください。
  • Ie o deru toki, denki o keshite kudasai.
  • Please turn off the lights when you leave the house.
    
• 「動詞どうしの過去かこ形+ときとき、動詞どうし」: Indicates that the second action occurs after the first action is completed.
  • 家いえを出でたときとき、電気でんきを消けしました。
  • Ie o deta toki, denki o keshimashita.
  • I turned off the lights after leaving the house.

Emphasizing Time

Sometimes, the particle 「にに」 is added after ～時とき to emphasize the specific point in time.

• 食事しょくじをしているときにときに 電話でんわが鳴なりました。
• Shokuji o shiteiru toki ni denwa ga narimashita.
• The phone rang while I was eating.

Deep Dive

The usage of ～時とき is very versatile in Japanese and applies to various contexts. It is not limited to describing time but can also express causal or conditional relationships. In everyday conversation, it is often used with other particles like 「にに」 to enhance the precision of time expressions.

Real-Life Scenarios

• When narrating personal experiences, ～時とき can be used to emphasize the specific moment an event occurred.
• In daily conversations, such as when asking or answering about the timing of activities, using ～時とき can make the expression clearer.

Summary

～時とき is an essential grammatical point that effectively helps learners accurately express points in time or specific moments when events occur. By flexibly using ～時とき, Japanese expressions can become more vivid and precise.