Learn French: Vous pouvez acheter le billet n'importe quand.

Vous pouvez acheter le billet n'importe quand.

You can buy the ticket anytime.

Breakdown of Vous pouvez acheter le billet n'importe quand.

Questions & Answers about Vous pouvez acheter le billet n'importe quand.

How does n'importe quand work to mean "anytime"?

The phrase literally translates to "no matter when." The word importe comes from the verb importer (to matter or be important). So, n'importe quand expresses that the specific time doesn't matter, giving us "anytime" or "whenever."

Could I use toujours (always) here instead?

You could, but it changes the nuance. Vous pouvez toujours acheter le billet usually means "You can still buy the ticket" or "You can always buy it" (like a backup plan). Using n'importe quand emphasizes your total freedom to pick the exact time.

Why is n'importe quand placed at the very end of the sentence?

Time phrases like n'importe quand usually go at the end of the sentence in French, just as they do in English. You shouldn't break up the verb pair pouvez acheter to squeeze it in the middle.

Why isn't the verb acheter (to buy) conjugated?

Because it follows pouvez (can), which is already conjugated. When you combine a modal verb like pouvoir with an action, the second verb always stays in its full, unconjugated infinitive form.