quando

Quando is a word used in Italian and Portuguese that means "when." It functions as an interrogative adverb and as a temporal conjunction and derives from the Latin quando. The term has cognates in several Romance languages and appears frequently in everyday speech, literature, and media.

In Italian, quando introduces time clauses and can also serve as a relative or interrogative word. It is used to ask about the time of an action as in "Quando arriva?" and to link clauses in statements such as "Non so quando partirò" (I do not know when I will leave). In Italian grammar, quando helps express timing and is distinct from other temporal markers such as "dopo" (after) or "mentre" (while).

In Portuguese, quando similarly functions as a temporal conjunction and as an interrogative adverb. It introduces clauses that specify time or condition, for example, "Quando você chega, eu saio" (When you arrive, I leave). In Brazilian Portuguese, subordinating clauses with quando may take either the indicative or the subjunctive form, depending on whether the time reference is factual or hypothetical, as in "Quando eu chegar" (when I arrive) versus hypothetical contexts.

Beyond its grammatical role, Quando appears in cultural contexts as a common word in titles, lyrics, and poetry across Portuguese- and Italian-speaking communities. As a basic temporal word, it is a foundational element for expressing time and sequence in both languages.