when

/wen/
adverbconjunction★Beginner
general

at what time or point in time

I'll call you when I arrive.

The action of calling will happen at the time of arrival

When did you last see her?

Asking about the specific time of the last encounter

💡

Often used in questions and conditional clauses

general

if or at the time that

When it rains, the ground gets wet.

Describing a conditional relationship between events

When you're ready, we can leave.

Expressing a condition for an action

💡

Used to introduce conditional clauses

Collocations

when in doubta phrase meaning to do something safe or conventional if you're unsurewhen all is said and doneafter everything has been considered or completedwhen push comes to shovewhen a difficult decision must be made

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

when in Romeproverb
do as the locals do
when the cat's awayproverb
when someone in charge is not present

💡Pro Tip

Question formation

'When' is commonly used to form questions about time, e.g., 'When did you leave?'

⚡Gold Rule

Conditional use

'When' can introduce conditional clauses, often meaning 'if' in some contexts.

📖Word Origin

Old English 'hwænne', from Proto-Germanic 'hwan', meaning 'at what time'

📝Usage Notes

Can function as an adverb (asking about time) or conjunction (introducing conditional clauses). Often used in questions and conditional statements.

English Dictionary