幾時

幾時

1. when; what time

   你諗住幾時開始學車呀？ [Cantonese, trad.]
   你谂住几时开始学车呀？ [Cantonese, simp.]

   nei⁵ nam² zyu⁶ gei² si⁴ hoi¹ ci² hok⁶ ce¹ aa³? [Jyutping]

   When do you plan to start learning driving?

   • 1076, 蘇軾 [Su Shi], 水調歌頭:

     明月幾時有？把酒問青天。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     明月几时有？把酒问青天。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     Míngyuè jǐshí yǒu? Bǎjiǔ wèn qīngtiān. [Pinyin]

     When will the moon be clear and bright?
     With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the clear sky.

   • 1952, 唐龍, directed by 潘炳權, 契爺艷史 [Foster-Daddy's Romantic Affairs]‎^[1], spoken by 梁大寒 (梁醒波 [Leung Sing Poh]):

     全啊，阿紅實係幾時嚟㗎？ [Cantonese, trad.]
     全啊，阿红实系几时嚟㗎？ [Cantonese, simp.]

     cyun⁴ aa³, aa³ hung⁴ sat⁶ hai⁶ gei² si^4-2 lai⁴ gaa³? [Jyutping]

     Chuen, when is Hung coming actually?

2. always; in anytime

   你幾時嚟都得。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   你几时嚟都得。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   nei⁵ gei² si⁴ lai⁴ dou¹ dak¹. [Jyutping]

   You can come anytime.

   佢幾時都咁靚㗎啦。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   佢几时都咁靓㗎啦。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   keoi⁵ gei² si⁴ dou¹ gam³ leng³ gaa³ laa¹. [Jyutping]

   He is always that pretty.

3. how long (length of time)

   • 楊林問道：「二位兄弟在此聚義幾時了？」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     杨林问道：「二位兄弟在此聚义几时了？」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14^th century CE

     Yáng Lín wèndào: “Èr wèi xiōngdì zài cǐ jùyì jǐshí le?” [Pinyin]

     "How long have you two been gathering here for the uprising, my brothers?" asked Yang Lin.

In the sense of "when", 幾時 is chiefly used in the southern varieties of Chinese, though using it is grammatically correct in Standard Chinese. See 什麼時候 for more.

• (when):