when? / at what time?
Used in direct questions about time.
Când pleci?
When are you leaving?
Când vine trenul?
When does the train arrive?
#50 · Adverb · ADV
In Romanian, când means “when? / at what time?”. It’s the #50 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Adverb used to ask about or refer to a time, or to introduce a temporal clause meaning “when.”
neutralUsed in direct questions about time.
When are you leaving?
When does the train arrive?
Introduces a clause referring to the time of another action or event.
I’ll call you when I get home.
When the rain started, we were already inside.
Tell me when you’re ready.
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top form cover about 100% of everyday use — learn these first.
când + verb
Used to ask or state when something happens.
Când pleacă autobuzul?
When does the bus leave?
… când + verb
Links two actions in time.
Mă suni când ajungi?
Will you call me when you arrive?
Când + verb, + verb
A temporal clause can come first for emphasis.
Când s-a terminat ploaia, am ieșit afară.
When the rain ended, we went outside.
Când începe filmul?
When does the movie start?
când - Question about time.
Te anunț când termin.
I’ll let you know when I finish.
când - Introduces a future-time clause.
Când am ajuns, ușa era deja închisă.
When I arrived, the door was already closed.
când - Refers to the time of a past event.
Common phrases built around când — worth learning as whole units.
lit. “then when”
lit. “until when”