when

Meaning

Adv

1. (interrogative, not-comparable) At what time? At which time? Upon which occasion or circumstance? Used to introduce direct or indirect questions about time.
2. (Internet, humorous, interrogative, not-comparable, often) At what time? At which time? Upon which occasion or circumstance? Used to introduce direct or indirect questions about time.
3. (not-comparable) At an earlier time and under different, usually less favorable, circumstances.
4. (not-comparable, relative) At which, on which, during which: often omitted or replaced with that.
5. (not-comparable) The time at, on or during which.
6. (informal, not-comparable) A circumstance or situation in which.

Conj

1. At (or as soon as) that time that; at the (or any and every) time that; if.
2. During the time that; at the time of the action of the following clause or participle phrase.
3. At what time; at which time.
4. Since; given the fact that; considering that.
5. Whereas; although; at the same time as; in spite of the fact that.

Pron

What time; which time.

Noun

The time at which something happens.

Intj

1. (humorous, often) That's enough: a command asking someone to stop adding something, especially an ingredient or portion of food or drink; used in, or as if in, literal response to 'Say when'.
2. (obsolete) Expressing impatience.

Synonyms

while

if

after

as

as soon as

where

that

at the time

then

whenever

time

⌚

since

because

how

whilst

during

what time

until

which

how much

at what time

in case

although

season

in spite of

once

till

at the time that

period of time

period

at that time

during the time

though

at

hour

what

so that

than

wages

why

and then

and yet

as for

just when

no matter when

how soon

what day

-ing

until when

any time when

Translations

quand

quando

cuando

wann

wenn

quando

wanneer

als

lorsque

cuándo

متى

quando

πότε

όταν

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʍɛn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: when

Inherited from Old English: hwonne

Cognate with Dutch: wanneer

Cognate with Low German: wannehr

Cognate with German: wann

Cognate with Gothic: 𐍈𐌰𐌽

Cognate with Latin: quandō

In summary

From Middle English when(ne), whan(ne), from Old English hwonne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannē, from Proto-West Germanic *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“at what time, when”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷís (interrogative base).
Cognate with Scots whan (“when”), Dutch wanneer (“when”), wan (“when”) and wen (“when, if”), Low German wannehr (“when”), wann (“when”) and wenn (“if, when”), German wann (“when”) and wenn (“when, if”), Gothic 𐍈𐌰𐌽 (ƕan, “when, how”), Latin quandō (“when”). More at who.
Interjection sense: a playful misunderstanding of "say when" (i.e. say something / speak up when you want me to stop) as "say [the word] when".

Sentences

What were you when you came here five years ago ?

Only when he , himself , reveals it .

When he was in hospital , the nurse took an x-ray photograph of his arm .

Two women were still missing when the firefighters arrived .

In retrospect , everything was already decided when we heard the siren .

When they go out Lucius secretly eats his fill of their food .