Saying 'When': ใๆ (toki)
ใๆ (toki) means 'when' or 'at the time of'. The tricky part: the tense of the verb BEFORE toki tells you whether Action A is completed or not when Action B happens.
The Tense Puzzle of ~toki
~toki attaches to the Plain Form of verbs. However, whether you use the present or past form changes the meaning dramatically.
If Action A is NOT YET DONE when B happens โ Use PRESENT form before toki.
If Action A IS ALREADY DONE when B happens โ Use PAST form before toki.
This is independent of the overall sentence tense. You must think about the relationship between Action A and Action B.
Present vs Past Before ใๆ
Comparing present vs past before toki
Teacher's Advice
The most common mistake: 'When I went to Japan (่กใฃใๆ), I bought this.' vs. 'When going to Japan (่กใๆ), I bought this.' The first means you bought it AFTER arriving. The second means you bought it BEFORE departing (e.g., at the airport). Always ask: When Action B happens, is Action A already finished or not yet?
Replace ๆ with 'before/while' vs 'after' in your head. If the meaning is 'before/while doing A' โ present form (ๅธฐใๆ = before/while returning). If it is 'after having done A' โ past form (ๅธฐใฃใๆ = after returning). This mental swap resolves 90% of toki questions without deep grammatical analysis. My students' accuracy jumps immediately once they adopt it.
JLPT Exam Patterns
- โขChoosing the correct tense (present/past) before toki based on the scenario (N4)
- โขNa-adjectives need 'na' before toki: ๆใใชใๆ (N4)
- โขNouns need 'no' before toki: ๅญไพใใฎใๆ (N4)
- โขReading comprehension: tracking whether the toki clause happened before or after the main clause (N4)
- โขDistinguishing ใๆ from ใใใ/ใใจ conditionals in sentence-completion questions (N4)
ใๆ vs ใใใ: Two Different Questions
ใๆ (toki) and ใใใ (tara) both translate to 'when,' which is exactly why learners mix them up. But they answer different questions. ใๆ answers 'at what point in time did this happen': it is a timestamp. ใใใ answers 'given that this happens, what follows': it is a condition, closer in spirit to 'if.'
ๆฅๆฌใซ่กใฃใๆใ็็ฉใ่ฒทใใพใใ (When I went to Japan, I bought a kimono) is simply reporting when the purchase happened. ๆฅๆฌใซ่กใฃใใใ็็ฉใ่ฒทใใพใ (If/when I go to Japan, I will buy a kimono) frames the trip as the trigger for the purchase; it has not happened yet, and the purchase depends on the trip happening. If you can replace 'when' with 'if' in the English without changing the meaning much, ใใ is usually the safer choice.
Related Grammar
Master Timing
Drill the present vs. past form before toki with our scenario-based quizzes.