...的时候
Tack 的时候 onto the end of a verb phrase or clause to turn it into a 'when...' time expression. It's how Chinese says 'when I was a kid,' 'while I was eating,' 'at the time he called.' Place the whole 的时候 chunk before the main clause to set the time, just like English 'when X, Y.' This is the workhorse time-clause marker from HSK 1 onward.
Structure
[CLAUSE] 的时候, [MAIN CLAUSE]
...de shíhou
How to Think About It
的时候 turns a whole mini-sentence into a noun-like time chunk. Think of it as the brackets in '[when I was eating], the phone rang' — everything before 的时候 is one time-stamp. That's why it goes at the front of the sentence: Chinese sets the time first, then says what happened. English-style trailing 'when' clauses ('I was eating when the phone rang') feel reversed in Chinese.
Examples
我小的时候，住在北京。
Wǒ xiǎo de shíhou, zhù zài Běijīng.
When I was little, I lived in Beijing.
吃饭的时候，不要看手机。
Chīfàn de shíhou, bùyào kàn shǒujī.
Don't look at your phone when you're eating.
他来的时候，我还在睡觉。
Tā lái de shíhou, wǒ hái zài shuìjiào.
When he came, I was still sleeping.
Common Mistake
Learners stick 在 in front, copying English 'at the time when...' 在 + 的时候 double-marks the time. Use one or the other, not both — and 的时候 alone is almost always enough.
在我小的时候，我喜欢吃糖。
我小的时候，喜欢吃糖。
Don't Confuse With
...以后
以后 means 'after.' 的时候 means 'during / when.' If the main action happens after the first one finishes, you want 以后.
...以前
以前 means 'before.' Pick it when the main clause happens earlier than the time clause.
什么时候
什么时候 is the question word 'when?' 的时候 is the statement 'when X happens.' Don't swap them.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 我看电影___时候，喜欢吃东西。
Show answer
的
Fill in the blank: 你来的___，我不在家。
Show answer
时候
Arrange: 的时候 / 听 / 我 / 跑步 / 音乐
Show answer
我跑步的时候听音乐。
Translate to Chinese: When I was a student, I lived in Shanghai.
Show answer
我是学生的时候，住在上海。
Write a sentence using ...的时候 about something you do when you're tired.
Show answer
我累的时候喜欢喝咖啡。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 8 Fluentide episodes: