# when
## English
### Alternative forms

* wen (eye dialect)

### Etymology

From Middle English when(ne), whanne, 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 *kʷis (interrogative base).
Cognate with Dutch wanneer (“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".

### Pronunciation

* (General American) enPR: hwĕn, wĕn, IPA: /ʍɛn/, /wɛn/
** (pin–pen merger) IPA: /ʍɪn/, /wɪn/
* (Ireland, Scotland) enPR: hwĕn, IPA: /ʍɛn/
* (Received Pronunciation) enPR: wĕn, IPA: /wɛn/
* Audio (US, without the wine–whine merger):(file)
* Audio (US, wine–whine merger):(file)
* Audio (UK, wine–whine merger):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛn
* Homophones: wen (wine–whine merger); win (wine–whine merger, pin–pen merger)

### Adverb

when (not comparable)
* (interrogative) At what time? At which time? Upon which occasion or circumstance? Used to introduce direct or indirect questions about time.
    When will they arrive?
    Do you know when they arrived?
    I don't know when they arrived.
    When they arrived is unknown.
** 1834, Samuel Kirkham, English Grammar in Familiar Lectures, page 117:What words are used as interrogative pronouns? — Give examples. When are the words, what, which, and that, called adj. pron.? When are they called interrogative pronominal adjectives?
** (interrogative, Internet slang, often humorous) Used after a noun or noun phrase in isolation to express impatience with an anticipated future event.
    The site's all bugged. Fix when?
    Tank class buff when?
    My fridge even restocks itself these days. Glorious AI overlords when?
*** 2020 December 4, u/Woebn, “Why did Treant fell in love with Aiushtha?”, in Reddit‎, r/DotA2, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:New patch when??
*** 2023 November 13, u/f4c1r, “Regions of Europe according to a Dutch map”, in Reddit‎, r/europe, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:Iran EU when? lol
*** 2023 November 18, u/waiting4singularity, “Valve marks Half-Life's 25th anniversary with game update and documentary”, in Reddit‎, r/gamernews, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:obligatory hl3 when? yea yea i know, likely never.
*** 2024 January 17, u/JabberwockyNZ, “14.2 Patch Preview”, in Reddit‎, r/leagueoflegends, archived from the original on 22 January 2024:Bard and eve nerf when
* At an earlier time and under different, usually less favorable, circumstances.
    He's mister high and mighty now, but I remember him when.
* (relative) At which, on which, during which: often omitted or replaced with that.
    That was the day when the Twin Towers fell.
** 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, pages 58–59:The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on a certain afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. […] Their example was followed by others at a time when the master of Mohair was superintending in person the docking of some two-year-olds, and equally invisible.
* (fused relative) The time at, on or during which.
    I recall when they were called the Greys.
    Next year is when we elect a new mayor.
* (informal, in definitions or explanations) A circumstance or situation in which.
    Love is when you can't get enough of someone.

#### Translations
### Conjunction

when
* At (or as soon as) that time that; at the (or any and every) time that; if.
    Pavlov's dogs salivate when [i.e. at any and every time that] they hear a bell.
    When [i.e. at any and every time that] he speaks to her, he is always polite.
    Put your pencil down when [i.e. as soon as, at the moment that] the timer goes off.
    A player wins when [as soon as, or at any time that, if] she has four cards of the same suit.
    A student is disqualified when [as soon as, if] they cheat.
** 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1:Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.
** 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it.
* During the time that; at the time of the action of the following clause or participle phrase.
    They dream when [i.e. during the time that] they sleep.
    I'm happiest when [during the time that, or at any time that] I’m working.
    It was raining when I came yesterday.
    The game is over when the referee says it is.
    Be careful when crossing the street.
    When (you are) angry, count to ten before speaking or acting.
** 2012 April 22, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:The Baggies had offered little threat until the 28th minute, but when their first chance came it was a clear one.
* At what time; at which time.
    I am here till Friday, when [i.e. at which time] I leave for Senegal.
    I was just walking down the street, when [i.e. at which time] all of a sudden it started to rain.
** 1839, John Donne, The Works of John Donne: Sermons, Letters, Poems, page 310:I am at London only to provide for Monday, when I shall use that favour which my Lady Bedford hath afforded me, of giving her name to my daughter; which I mention to you, […]
** 1929, Donald John Munro, The Roaring Forties and After, page 38:He sat at the door of his kitchen watching, and seeing there was nothing else for it we buckled to and soon had the job done; when we were admitted to the kitchen and given a really good meal.
* Since; given the fact that; considering that.
    I don't see the point of putting up Christmas decorations when I am the only person who is going to see them.
* Whereas; although; at the same time as; in spite of the fact that.
    You're picking at your scabs when you should be letting them heal.
    He keeps changing things when the existing system works perfectly well.
** c. 1604–1626, doubtfully attributed to Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Faithful Friends”, in Henry [William] Weber, editor, The Works of Beaumont and Fletcher, in Fourteen Volumes: […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] F[rancis] C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington; […], published 1812, →OCLC, Act II, scene ii, page 53:Oh age! / Where only wealthy men are counted happy: / How ſhall I pleaſe thee? how deſerve thy ſmiles? / When I am only rich in miſery?

#### Synonyms

* (as soon as): as soon as, immediately, once
* (every time that): whenever
* (during the time that): while, whilst; see also Thesaurus:while
* (at any time that): whenever
* (at which time):
* (given the fact that): given that, seeing that; see also Thesaurus:because
* (in spite of the fact that): but, where, whereas

#### Translations

Arabic: عِنْدَمَا (ʕindamā), لَمَّا (lammā), حِينَ (ar) (ḥīna), إِذ (ar) (ʔiḏ)
Hijazi Arabic: لَمَّا (lamma)
Najdi Arabic: يوم (yōm)
South Levantine Arabic: لَمَّا (lamma)
Armenian: երբ (hy) (erb)
Asturian: cuando
Bengali: যখন (bn) (jokhon)
Chinese:
Cantonese: […] 嘅時候 / […] 嘅时候 (ge$^3$ si$^4$ hau$^6$)
Mandarin: ...的時候 / ...的时候 (zh) (... de shihou)
Czech: když (cs)
Danish: når (da)
Dutch: als (nl), wanneer (nl)
Egyptian: (ḫft)
Esperanto: kiam (eo), dum (eo)
Estonian: kui (et)
Faroese: tá
Finnish: kun (fi)
French: lorsque (fr), quand (fr)
Georgian: როდესაც (rodesac)
German: wenn (de), als (de) (for past events)
Greek: όταν (el) (ótan)
Ancient: ὅταν (hótan)
Hebrew: כאשר (ka'asher)
Hindi: जब (hi) (jab)
Hunsrik: als, wie
Icelandic: þegar (is)
Ilocano: no
Indonesian: ketika (id)
Irish: nuair
Italian: quando (it)
Japanese: ...の時 (ja) (...no toki), ...のとき (ja) (...no toki)
Kumyk: къачан (qaçan)
Kyrgyz: качан (ky) (kacan)
Lao: ເມື່ອ (mư̄a), ພໍ (phǭ)
Latvian: kad (lv)
Macedonian: кога (koga)
Malay: semasa (ms)
Maori: a hei
Middle English: whan
Neapolitan: quann
Ngazidja Comorian: esa
Norman: quaend (Guernsey)
Northern Kankanay: no, mo
Norwegian: når (no)
Old English: þā, þonne
Polish: gdy (pl)
Portuguese: quando (pt)
Romanian: când (ro)
Russian: когда́ (ru) (kogdá)
Sanskrit: यदा (sa) (yadā́)
Scots: whan
Scottish Gaelic: nuair
Shan: မိူဝ်ႈ (shn) (mōe)
Slovak: keď (sk)
Southern Altai: качан (kačan)
Spanish: cuando (es)
Sundanese: basa (su)
Swedish: när (sv), då (sv)
Tagalog: kapag
Thai: ขณะที่ (kà-nà têe), เมื่อ (th) (mʉ̂ʉa), ครั้น (th) (krán), พอ (th) (pɔɔ)
Ukrainian: коли́ (uk) (kolý)
Urdu: جب (jab)
Venetan: co (vec), có, con
Vietnamese: khi (vi)
Welsh: tra, pan (cy), amser (cy)
Yiddish: אַז (az) :
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Pronoun

when
* (interrogative) What time; which time.
    Since when do I need your permission?
** 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 18, column 2:[...] ſhortly [...] I'le reſolue you [...] / Theſe happend accidents: till when, be cheerefull [...]
** 1831 (published), John Davies, Orchestra Or, a Poem of Dancing, in Robert Southey, Select Works of the British Poets: From Chaucer to Jonson, with Biographical Sketches, page 706:
    Homer, to whom the Muses did carouse
    A great deep cup with heav'nly nectar fill'd,
    The greatest, deepest cup in Jove's great house,
    (For Jove himself had so expressly will'd)
    He drank off all, nor let one drop be spill'd;
    Since when, his brain that had before been dry,
    Became the well-spring of all poetry.
** 1833, William Potts Dewees, A Treatise on the Diseases of Females, page 495::[This] we imagined might have been owing to some accidental condition of the system, or perhaps idiosyncracy; this led us to a second trial, but we experienced the same inconveniences, since when, we have altogether abandoned their use.
** 2012, Emile Letournel, Robert Judet, Fractures of the Acetabulum, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 385:So we combined the Kocher-Langenbeck and iliofemoral approach until 1965, since when we have combined the ilioinguinal and Kocher-Langenbeck approaches.

#### Translations
### Noun

when (plural whens)
* The time at which something happens.
    A good article will cover the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how.
** 2008, Paolo Aite, Lanscapes of the Psyche, Ipoc Press, →ISBN, page 151:For the moment, suffice it to say that the stories told through the whens and hows of building a scene differentiate individual desires and needs more clearly than shared speech was up to then able to communicate.

#### Translations
### Interjection

when
* (often humorous) 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'.
** 2004, Andy Husbands, Joe Yonan, The Fearless Chef: Innovative Recipes from the Edge of American Cuisine, page 83:When we go out to a restaurant, we're the guys who never say "when" when the waiter is grinding fresh pepper on our salads.
** 2009, Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin, page 111:He keeps the bottle in the top bureau drawer; he takes it out, and two glasses, and pours. Say when. When, please.
** 2011, Fritz Allhoff, Dave Monroe, Porn - Philosophy for Everyone: How to Think With Kink:Producers have the power to say "when" when the actress involved is too stressed to continue. That's responsible filmmaking.
* (obsolete) Expressing impatience.
    Coordinate term: what
** c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 221, column 2:Why when I ſay? […] Off with my boots, you rogues: you villaines, when? […] Out you rogue […]
** 1600, [Michael Drayton, Richard Hathwaye, Anthony Munday, Robert Wilson], The First Part of the True and Honorable Historie, of the Life of Sir John Old-castle, the Good Lord Cobham. […]‎, London: […] [V[alentine] S[immes]] for Thomas Pauier, […], →OCLC:Set parſon, ſet, the dice die in my hand: / VVhen parſon, vvhen! vvhat can ye finde no more?
** c. 1615 (date written), Tho[mas] Middleton, “More Dissemblers besides Women. A Comedy”, in Two New Playes. […], London: […] Humphrey Moseley, […], published 1657, →OCLC, Act V, scene i, page 66:VVhy vvhen? begin Sir: I muſt ſtay your leiſure.

#### Translations
### Derived terms

* as and when
* ask how high when someone says jump
* back when
* burn that bridge when one comes to it
* buy when it snows and sell when it goes
* cross that bridge when one comes to it
* cross that bridge when one gets there
* cross that bridge when one gets to it
* hit someone when they are down
* if and when
* I know it when I see it
* kick a dog when it's down
* kick someone when they are down
* know someone when
* know when to fold 'em
* needs must when the devil drives
* quit when one is ahead
* see you when I see you
* since when
* strike someone when they are down
* time flies when you're having fun
* way back when
* when Adam was an oakum boy
* when Adam was an oakum boy in Chatham Dockyard
* when all is said
* when all is said and done
* when as
* when heck freezes over
* when Hell freezes over
* when in Rome
* when is closing time
* when it came to
* when it comes to
* when it's at home
* when one's ship comes in
* when opportunity knocks
* when pigs can fly
* when pigs fly
* when push comes to shove
* when shrimps whistle
* when the balloon goes up
* when the cat's away
* when the cat's away the mice play
* when the cat's away the mice will play
* when the chips are down
* when the time comes
* when two Sundays come together
* when two Sundays meet
* whenwe
* why buy a book when you can join a library
* why buy a book when you can join the library
* why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free
* you don't look at the mantelpiece when you poke the fire
* you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire
* zig when one should zag

### References

* “when”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “when”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

### Anagrams

* hewn

## Middle English
### Etymology 1
#### Adverb

when
* Alternative form of whenne

#### Conjunction

when
* Alternative form of whenne

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

when
* Alternative form of winnen (“to win”)