時

OK, so I totally don't get how to use it. Well, I know hwo to use it, but I don't know which tense to put the verbs in!

In my book it says (well, not directly, but form the examples) that you can put it in either:

1. present, present
2. past, present
3. present, past
4. past, past

so like here are like some of the examples they give:

１．チベットに行く時、ビザを取ります。
２．中国に行ったとき、ウーロン茶を買います。
３．チベットに行く時、ビザを取りました。
４．中国に行ったとき、ウーロン茶を買いました。

Now, they do explain the differences, but I just found it very confusing. So, let me see if I can figure it out, & if it's wrong, hopefully someone can correct me ^^;

1. "I will get a visa issued when I go to Tibet." Simple present/future of both...
2. "I will buy Oolong tea when I go to China." I don't really know!!
3. "I had the visa issued when I went to Tibet." Since it took place in the past, the 2nd verb's in the past, but since the 1st one still comes after the 2nd, it's in the present. (????) xD
4. "I bought Oolong tea when I went to China." Simple past thingy of both...

So basically 2 & 3 are where i'm having problems... So can someone help out?
Thanks!

-Tommy

How about this for 2 & 3?

2) I'll buy Oolong tea after I've gone to (arrived in) China.
3) When I was going (to be going) to Tibet, I got a visa. (Got the visa before going)

Does that help?

Glenn said:

2) I'll buy Oolong tea after I've gone to (arrived in) China.
3) When I was going (to be going) to Tibet, I got a visa. (Got the visa before going)

Click to expand...

I agree with Glenn. I think it would help if you thought about where the speaker is. In 1 & 3, the speaker has not left for Tibet while in 2 & 4, s/he is already in China.

Then, why are 2 & 4 in the past tense? you might ask...

2 & 4 are not in the past tense actually but rather in the future perfect. As Japanese does not have a different way to express that (as in "will have----" in English), it looks exactly the same as the past tense.

I can't be 100% sure though as I am no expert when it comes to these things.

Ah yes! both of you cleared it up for me. I think I got it now ,

ASHIKAGA said:

I agree with Glenn. I think it would help if you thought about where the speaker is. In 1 & 3, the speaker has not left for Tibet while in 2 & 4, s/he is already in China.
Then, why are 2 & 4 in the past tense? you might ask...
2 & 4 are not in the past tense actually but rather in the future perfect. As Japanese does not have a different way to express that (as in "will have----" in English), it looks exactly the same as the past tense.
I can't be 100% sure though as I am no expert when it comes to these things.

Click to expand...

Correction. The first part of the sentence 4 IS indeed in the past tense.