〜とき

## What it means とき means 'when ~', used to describe the time something happens. The tricky part is timing: whether the action before とき has already finished changes the meaning.

## When to use it Attach とき after a **plain-form** verb, adjective, or noun + の. If the verb is in the **plain non-past** form, とき means 'before/while', 食べるとき is 'before/while eating', so the eating hasn't finished yet. If the verb is in the **plain past** (た) form, とき means 'after', 食べたとき is 'after eating', so the eating is already done.

## Don't confuse it with The most common mistake beginners make is picking the wrong tense, saying 食べたとき when they actually mean 'while eating' (食べるとき). Before choosing た or the plain form, ask yourself: has the action already finished at that moment, or is it still happening?