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In this lesson, you will learn how to use the Japanese grammar ～とき (toki).
You have come to Japan and want to eat delicious ramen.
So you decide to ask your friends who like ramen.
What should you say?
おいしいラーメンが食べたいとき、どこへ行ったらいい？
Where should I go when I want to eat tasty ramen?
Today, let’s learn how to use ～とき.
Meaning of ～とき
～とき is used to indicate the time when an action or event happens. It connects a situation with the time it occurs.
おいしいラーメンが食べたいとき、どこへ行ったらいい？
When I want to eat tasty ramen, where should I go?
This grammar point is also introduced in beginner textbooks. If you want to review grammar more systematically, having one good textbook really helps:
Form of ～とき
The form of ～とき depends on the word that comes before it.
い-adjective
Positive:
～いとき
暑いです（あついです） → 暑いとき
Negative:
～くないとき
暑くないです → 暑くないとき
な-adjective
Positive:
～なとき
元気です（げんきです） → 元気なとき
Negative:
～じゃないとき
元気じゃありません → 元気じゃないとき
Noun
Positive:
～のとき
休みです（やすみです） → 休みのとき
Negative:
～じゃないとき
休みじゃありません → 休みじゃないとき
Verb
Positive:
Verb じしょform + とき
書きます → 書くとき
Negative:
Verb ない form + とき
書きません → 書かないとき
💁 To use ～とき correctly, it is important to understand the difference between ～るとき and ～たとき. You can learn more about it here:
Examples of ～とき
1. 時間があるとき、本を読みます。
When I have free time, I read books.
2. 買い物に行くとき、木村さんに会いました。
When I went shopping, I met Mr. Kimura.
3. 日本語を話すとき、緊張します。
When I speak Japanese, I get nervous.
4. 道がわからないとき、Googleマップを使います。
When I don’t know the way, I use Google Maps.
5. さびしいとき、友達に電話します。
When I’m lonely, I call my friends.
6. 天気がいいとき、散歩に行きます。
When the weather is good, I go for a walk.
7. 仕事が忙しくないとき、机を片付けてください。
When you are not busy at work, please tidy up your desk.
8. 部屋がきれいなとき、リラックスできます。
When the room is clean, I can relax.
9. 祖母は元気なとき、毎日ジョギングをします。
When my grandmother is well, she jogs every day.
10. 子どものとき、恐竜がとても好きでした。
When I was a child, I really liked dinosaurs.
11. 地震のとき、机の下に隠れてください。
During an earthquake, please hide under a desk.
12. 休みじゃないとき、電車はあまり混んでいません。
When it is not a holiday, the trains are not very crowded.
Recommended Reading
Best Japanese Textbooks for Beginners
Want to learn Japanese grammar more systematically? This guide compares Genki, Minna no Nihongo, Japanese From Zero, and other popular beginner textbooks.
Read the Guide →Suggested Study Material.
Genki Ⅱ (Beginner Japanese)
This grammar point is explained in GenkiⅡ(Lesson16), a widely used beginner textbook for learning Japanese.
View on Amazon →Speaking Practice
Practice Japanese on italki
If you want to practice this grammar in real conversation, learning with a tutor can help you improve faster. Many learners find that regular speaking practice is the fastest way to become confident in Japanese.
Find a Japanese Tutor on italki →
