Khi

Khi is a core word in the Vietnamese language that functions primarily as a temporal conjunction or adverb, meaning “when” or “at the time that.” It is used to introduce clauses that specify when an action occurs and is common in both spoken and written Vietnamese.

Grammatically, khi marks a time relationship rather than tense, since Vietnamese does not conjugate verbs for tense. It can begin a subordinate clause or appear within a sentence to situate events in time. Examples include “Khi tôi đến” (When I arrive) and “Khi nào bạn đi?” (When will you go?). Phrases such as “khi ấy” or “khi đó” refer to a specific time previously mentioned, while “đến khi” expresses a notion similar to “until.”

Khi is frequently used across formal and informal registers and features prominently in literature and journalism. It can connect actions that occur at the same time or indicate a condition linked to a time reference, as in “Khi tôi làm xong việc, tôi nghỉ” (When I finish the work, I will rest). Its versatility extends to questions of timing with “khi nào” and to specific temporal moments with “khi ấy” or “khi đó.”

Other considerations: In Vietnamese writing, khi should not be confused with khỉ, the word for “monkey,” which uses a diacritic on the i. They are distinct in both spelling and meaning. The term khi is primarily a time-related word within Vietnamese and does not carry standalone meanings in other languages as a widely recognized loanword.