[Student’s sentence]

 

駅に着いたとき、電話してください。
Call me when you get to the station.

*えきについたとき、でんわしてください。

 

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[My correction]

 

駅に着いたとき、電話してください。
→駅に着いたら、電話してください。
Call me when you get to the station.

 

〜とき simply represents the moment something happens, while 〜たら indicates what action will occur following the event. Using 〜とき in this context implies ‘Call me at the very moment you arrive at the station,’ which isn’t quite right. Therefore, when you want to say ‘do something and then,’ you should use 〜たら.

 

Examples:

日本(にほん)に行(い)ったら、ラーメンが食(た)べたいです。
I want to eat ramen when I go to Japan.

 

大学生(だいがくせい)になったら、一人(ひとり)で旅行(りょこう)に行きます。
When I become a university student, I will travel alone.

 

国(くに)に帰(かえ)ったら、母(はは)の料理(りょうり)が食べたいです。
I want to eat my mother’s cooking when I return to my country.

 

In the JLPT course, each lesson includes homework. Submit your homework, and I’ll provide corrections. I’ll break down Japanese grammar, highlighting mistakes and explaining structures and nuances in a simple way. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need—I’m here to help you understand!