My book (Genki 2) doesn't describe its usage very clearly. They said that after toki, is the sentence's event and before it, is the time of which the event happened. I don't really understand any of the tenses (ie: when to use the short form before toki, or "mashita," instead of "masu," after toki.)
Also, because I have no way of checking my answers with my incredible textbook, could you guys have a look at these and tell me if they're correct or wrong?
ひまだ時テルビを見ます
(When I'm free, I watch TV.)
あさねぽうした時タクシにのりおくれました
When I overslept, I missed the taxi.
てがみをよむ時わかりませんでした
(When I read the letter, I didn't understand.)
You can see that I mess up the tenses alot. Could someone explain how to use tenses in relation to "toki," in an easier way to my book?
Thanks in advance!
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
ひまな時、テレビを見ます
(You only use だ or です at the very end of a sentence. ひま is a na adjective so with 時 you must use な.
ねぼうした時、タクシーにのりおくれました
あさねぼう is more of sleeping in, rather than oversleeping. Also, taxi is タクシー
Since it's when I read the letter I *didn't* understand we know the sentence is past tense, so read is past tense too.
てがみをよんだ時、わかりませんでした
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In English, the clause that comes after "when" is what you put before 時.
If you're talking about something that happened once in the past you use the plain past tense form.
If you're talking about something that happens in general you do not use the past tense.
Generally in your exam your tenses were fine except for the last one. You were probably confused because "read" is both present tense and past tense in English, the only difference is how we say it.