si4 hau6時候时候

Jyutpingsi4 hau6

Yalesìh hauh

名詞Very common

Definition

A point in time, or a vaguely defined period of time.

colloquialtime

How it's used

While standard written Chinese uses 時候, Cantonese speakers often prefer the more colloquial term 嗰陣 or 嗰陣時 in casual conversation. Using 時候 can sound slightly more formal or narrative, making it common in storytelling or when describing specific life stages. It is frequently paired with the particle 嘅 to connect a preceding clause or noun phrase.

Measure word

go3個go

Examples

nei5你sai3細go3個ge3嘅si4時hau6候zung1鍾ji3意wun6玩me1咩㗎？

What did you like to play when you were a kid?

ngo5我faan1返gung1工ge3嘅si4時hau6候m4唔teng1聽dak1得din6電waa2話。

I cannot answer the phone when I am at work.

Common phrases

sai3細go3個ge3嘅si4時hau6候

when one was young

ni1呢go3個si4時hau6候

at this moment

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly use 時候 as a direct translation for the English word 'time' in all contexts, but it specifically refers to a point or period in time rather than the abstract concept of time measured by a clock, which is 時間.