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khi nào

Level ≈A1 (approx.) adverbconjunction Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [xi˧˧ naːw˨˩]Huế [kʰɪj˧˧ naːw˦˩]Saigon [kʰɪj˧˧ naːw˨˩] browser voice
Syllables · tones
khilevelngangnàofallinghuyền

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

khi nào means when.

Meanings of khi nào in English

Adverb

  1. when

Conjunction

  1. when

Words with khi nào

khi nào cũng

Example sentences with khi nào

  • Việc in ấn ra đời khi nào? When was printing invented?
  • Họ đã viết lá thư khi nào? When did they write the letter?
  • Tối qua bạn đi ngủ khi nào? When did you go to bed last night?
  • Bạn làm xong nó khi nào thế? When did you finish it?
  • Khi nào là sinh nhật của bạn? When is your birthday?
  • Khi nào thì năm học kết thúc? When does the school year end?
  • Khi nào xong thì gọi cho tôi. Call me when that's done.
  • Khi nào thì bạn sẽ tốt nghiệp? When will you graduate?

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Usage note: khi nào

khi nào is "when?" — and, like bao giờ, it points to the future at the start of a question and to the past at the end.

  • Khi nào chị đi Đà Lạt? — When are you going to Da Lat?
  • Chị đi Đà Lạt khi nào? — When did you go to Da Lat?

Without a question, khi nào means "whenever" or "when (in the future)": Khi nào rảnh thì gọi cho tôi. — Call me when you're free.

Simple answers: ngày mai (tomorrow), tuần sau (next week), hôm qua (yesterday), lát nữa (in a bit).

Compare: lúc nào often asks for a more precise time, while mấy giờ asks for the clock time: Mấy giờ tàu chạy? — What time does the train leave?

✗ Khi nào anh đã đến? (future position + past marker clash) → ✓ Anh đến khi nào?

Frequently asked questions

What does khi nào mean in English?

khi nào (adverb) means "when".

How do you pronounce khi nào?

IPA: Hanoi [xi˧˧ naːw˨˩]; Saigon [kʰɪj˧˧ naːw˨˩]. Tones: khi — level tone (ngang), nào — falling tone (huyền).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.