你什么时候有空？

Learning Chinese: How to Ask "When Are You Free?" in Chinese

Chinese Characters: 你什么时候有空？
Pinyin: Nǐ shén me shí hou yǒu kòng?
Pronunciation: ni3 shen2 me shi2 hou4 you3 kong4
English Translation: When are you free?

Usage:

"你什么时候有空？(Nǐ shén me shí hou yǒu kòng?)" is a common phrase used to ask someone when they are free to meet or do something. It can be used in both formal and informal settings.

Example:

Chinese: 你什么时候有空？我想请你吃饭。
Pinyin: Nǐ shén me shí hou yǒu kòng? Wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ chī fàn.
English: When are you free? I'd like to invite you to dinner.
Variations:

There are a few variations of "你什么时候有空？(Nǐ shén me shí hou yǒu kòng?)" that you may hear:

你有空吗？(Nǐ yǒu kòng ma?) - A more direct way to ask if someone is free.
你方便吗？(Nǐ fāng biàn ma?) - A more polite way to ask if someone is free, literally meaning "are you convenient?"
Tips for Learning:

Practice saying "你什么时候有空？(Nǐ shén me shí hou yǒu kòng?)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
Listen to native Chinese speakers asking "when are you free?" to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
Use "你什么时候有空？(Nǐ shén me shí hou yǒu kòng?)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.
Additional Notes:

The phrase "你什么时候有空？(Nǐ shén me shí hou yǒu kòng?)" can also be used to ask about someone's availability for a specific time or day. For example, you could say "你星期五晚上有空吗？(Nǐ xīng qī wǎn shàng yǒu kòng ma?)" to ask if someone is free on Friday evening.
When asking someone when they are free, it is important to be flexible and open to suggestions. Chinese people often value politeness and may not want to directly say that they are not available.
If you are unsure whether someone is free, you can always ask "你有时间吗？(Nǐ yǒu shí jiān ma?)", which means "do you have time?"