# Expressing "when the time comes" with "到时候"

<SentenceQuiz>

- 现在 不 好好 准备 考试，_到时候_ 肯定 考 不好。
  - If you don't prepare well, then you won't do it well in the exam.
- 我 要 学 唱 中文 的 生日快乐 歌，_到时候_ 唱 给 你们 听。
  - I want to learn the Chinese song "Happy Birthday." I'll sing for you guys when the time comes.
- 你 先 自己 试 一 试，_到时候_ 我 再 教 你。
  - You can give it a try first. I will teach you when the time comes.
- _到时候_ 见。
  - See you then.
- _到时候_ 看 吧。
  - Let's see what we can do later.
- _到时候_ 再 说 吧。
  - We will talk about that later when the time comes.

</SentenceQuiz>

<TOC>

- Level: [C1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/C1_grammar_points) / [HSK6](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/HSK6_grammar_points)
- Similar to
- Used for: [Expressing time and date](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_time_and_date)
- Keywords: [到](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%88%B0), [时候](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%97%B6%E5%80%99), [时](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E6%97%B6), [候](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%80%99)

</TOC>

到时候 (dào shíhou) basically means the same thing as "when the times comes." Usually "when the time comes" is pointing to a specific event in the future.

## General use of "到时候"

### Structure

Usually this grammar pattern starts with a statement to set things up (A), then the things that happens in the future is stated (B) after the 到时候.

……，到时候 + ……

### Examples

- 现在 不 好好 准备 考试，_到时候_ 肯定 考 不好。
  - If you don't prepare well, then you won't do it well in the exam.
- 我 要 学 唱 中文 的 生日快乐 歌，_到时候_ 唱 给 你们 听。
  - I want to learn the Chinese song "Happy Birthday." I'll sing for you guys when the time comes.
- 你 先 自己 试 一 试，_到时候_ 我 再 教 你。
  - You can give it a try first. I will teach you when the time comes.

## Commonly used expressions with 到时候

### Examples

- _到时候_ 见。
  - See you then.
- _到时候_ 看 吧。
  - Let's see what we can do later.
- _到时候_ 再 说 吧。
  - We will talk about that later when the time comes.

## Sources and further reading

### Books

- [Exemplification of Common Sentence Patterns in Spoken Chinese 汉语口语常用句式例解](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Exemplification_of_Common_Sentence_Patterns_in_Spoken_Chinese_%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%8F%A3%E8%AF%AD%E5%B8%B8%E7%94%A8%E5%8F%A5%E5%BC%8F%E4%BE%8B%E8%A7%A3) (P.63)[→buy](https://www.amazon.cn/%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%8F%A3%E8%AF%AD%E5%B8%B8%E7%94%A8%E5%8F%A5%E5%BC%8F%E4%BE%8B%E8%A7%A3/dp/B0011435Y2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347865939&sr=8-1) NEEDS LINK
- [Short-term Spoken Chinese: Elementary (汉语口语速成基础篇)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Short-term_Spoken_Chinese:_Elementary_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%8F%A3%E8%AF%AD%E9%80%9F%E6%88%90%E5%9F%BA%E7%A1%80%E7%AF%87)>)(P.199) [→buy](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00326U9MS/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00326U9MS)
- [Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例)](<https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Common_Chinese_Patterns_330_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%B8%B8%E7%94%A8%E6%A0%BC%E5%BC%8F330%E4%BE%8B)>) (p. 62)[→buy](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7802006473/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7802006473)